More Than Christmas Cheer
by Mobiuslemniscus
Summary: Nearly everyone is merry during the holiday season, but can Remus reach out to Severus when he needs it most? Marauders' Era, 6th Year. WARNING: Rape scene in early chapters. Rated for language, violence, and graphic sex. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Severus pulled himself up, grasping the wall for support as his feet slid in the small pool of blood below. Immediately, long fingers gripped his hair and jerked tightly, making him wince in pain. From the corner of the room his mother pleaded softly, crying, "Tobias, don't..."

His father's face was fifty-seven years worth of chiseled flesh - hollow and deeply lined from day after day of working in dreary factories. It had become unrecognizable, completely veiled by a mask of rage and hate. He jerked his hands again and Severus lost his footing, crying out as hairs ripped from his skull. "Think you're gonna play your tricks in my house, think you're gonna read your damned books under my roof, well I'll tell you what _sonny_, I'm not standing for this ungodly nonsense any longer." He gave Severus a hard shove, then grabbed a nearby suitcase and flung it open. "Take your things and get out! I don't care whether you have anywhere to go. Get out."

Five minutes later, Severus was standing outside in the snow, clutching his belongings and listening to the screaming still coming from the house. Cheap tinsel was strung along the drain pipe, and a few scraggly branches of holly hung on the door. Still in a daze and with the blood on his face beginning to freeze, he asked himself, "What now?"

There were only two functioning streetlights in Spinner's End. He chose the farthest one from where his house was and sat under it, shivering a little. His watch had shattered when he had fallen, and the hands were pointing to ten-thirty-nine. The heavy clouds covered the moon, and Severus felt extremely exposed and nervous sitting there in the city's most violent neighborhood. Glancing around to make sure he wasn't being watched, he pulled a pen from his suitcase and scribbled a short note. He folded the parchment and gently opened the door to his owl's cage. Cinnabar was a tiny hawk owl, black and sleek with a sharp, intelligent gaze. "Take this to the school, and please hurry. You can hunt next time, I promise."

Without a sound, the bird ruffled her feathers and took off, leaving the skinny boy waiting alone in one solitary circle of light.

* * *

Remus sang Carol of the Bells to himself as he hung mistletoe and holly wreaths around the Great Hall. It was unusual for him to be anywhere on his own, but this holiday he was the only one of his friends who wasn't elsewhere for Christmas. Sirius had gone skiing with the Potters, and Pettigrew was spending the holiday in the hospital wing with scales for skin after one of his potions had erupted in class. In truth, Remus was feeling rather deserted and lonely, but he didn't want to ruin anybody else's vacations by expressing any negative feelings. Instead, he sang louder.

_"Hark how the bells,_

_sweet silver bells,_

_all seem to say,_

_throw cares away..."_

The tables were already laid out for the evening feast, emerald and ruby candles glittering every few seats down. The silver plates and goblets were polished to a shine, the checkered napkins folded neatly, and fir needles were scattered on the shimmering gold tablecloth. Around him, other students were hanging wreaths and laughing cheerfully. A couple of second year girls were watching Remus from the corner, giggling and listening to him sing. He tried his best to ignore them, but he couldn't help smiling and raising his voice a little more.

_"Christmas is here,_

_bringing good cheer,_

_to young and old,_

_meek and the bold..."_

Back in the the Marauders' dorm, Remus had laid out hand wrapped presents on the three other beds. He frowned slightly as he thought of how he wouldn't be able to spend the holiday with them, and how he had been anxiously waiting to see them open the gifts. For James he had bought a Snitch designed to stay within twelve meters of its owner, so that he could practice catching it without worrying about it flying into McGonagall's room. The last time that had happened...well, he didn't want to think about it. For Sirius he'd gotten a muggle chew toy for dogs, just for laughs. He knew the present would be far more appreciated than anything serious.

As for Peter… Remus had tried to do his best. He'd wrapped up a couple of holiday treats and thrown in a new pair of dragonhide gloves. They were expensive, but he'd felt bad for not knowing what his friend really wanted, so he hoped something practical would make up for the neglect.

"Cut it out," he muttered to himself, and forced a content expression back on his face. It wasn't fair to begrudge his friends. After all, James and Sirius were having fun, so why should he wish they were here with him instead? And poor Peter was half a lizard. But his self-held conversation was cut short by a gasp from one of the second years, and he turned in time to see a tiny black owl hurdling through one of the windows directly into his face. The next thing he knew, he was on his back, surrounded by a group of very anxious looking girls.

"Are you okay?"

"You were knocked out...just for a minute though."

"Here, you can lean on me if you want!"

He sat up and brushed himself off. He ignored the girls and looked around for the owl. It was perched on the ladder he had been climbing moments before. There was a tiny piece of parchment tied to one leg, and Remus walked over and pulled it off. The owl waited patiently as Remus unfolded the note. It read:

_West Spinner's End with nowhere to go and not a safe place to be alone. Need someone to get me, quickly._

_-S. Snape_

Solemnly, Remus folded the note up and slid it into his pocket. Nodding at the bird, he said, "We'll get him back, don't worry."


	2. Chapter 2

"What 'ave we got over 'ere, eh? A poor wittle wost boy?" Severus tensed and jumped to his feet. The voice came from the alley behind him, the speaker concealed in shadows. His body was stiff and weak from the cold, but he was prepared to fight if it came down to the worst.

There was cynical chuckling. "Oh, 'ave we scared the wittle boy? Is he fwightened? Gonna cry for m-m-mommy?" Three men in tattered dark coats stepped out from the darkness, looking very much like they had been living on the streets for a while. Their faces were unshaven gaunt, and their expressions were nothing less than menacing.

"I h-haven't got any money!" Severus yelled as he backed away, sliding on the icy sidewalk. He was uncertain whether or not to draw his wand. These men could easily be muggles, and the risk of penalty and expulsion was a high wager for Severus.

As they moved closer, he gave into resisting his instinct. But as he reached into his cloak and groped for his wand, the three stopped advancing. The largest of them spoke, apparently in a position of higher honor than his comrades.

"No need for magic, laddie. Ere'll be no point in it, you couldn't do no harm if we were tied up and blindfolded, sweetheart." More dark laughter rumbled in the air. Severus was frozen in his steps, still grasping the hilt of his only remaining defense.

"Looks like he wants to fight, boys. What a good wittle wizard, Dumbledore raises them well." Without touching a wand, the man shouted "Expelliarmus!", and the polished ebony flew from under Severus's fingers, straight into the palm of his attacker.

"A pity, you seem so noble. But I think Dumbledore may be leading you astray, doll. We don't answer to his silly virtues, our leader has his own set of ideals." He looked at his two sidekicks. "What do you say boys, how about we show our friend why no one resists the big boys?"

They moved in with hungry smiles.

* * *

Remus dashed out of the Great Hall, scattering the growing mass of girls who had appeared. He skidded into the Gryffindor common room, bounded up the stairs, and paused inside his dormitory for long enough to catch his breath and scribble a note to explain his absense. Even in desperate circumstances he could not be a completely irresponsible student. He then threw on a cloak and swiftly ran back down the stairs.

* * *

"Don't worry, I won't bite!" Severus squirmed against rough hands as they slid under his thin shirt, stroking hard against his chest and stomach.

His assailants had covered his mouth and dragged him back into the alley from which they had appeared, then down through a door which led to a dingy basement. The air was thick and warm, smelling of mold. A single bulb hung loosely in the farthest corner, casting a nauseating orange glow over everything in the room. There was no real furniture, just a few damp mats on the floor in between huge stacks of crates and boxes.

Another pair of hands were tightening against his waist and lower abdomen, pulling at his skin rhythmically. They belonged to the largest member of the group; the other was watching from atop a large barrel, lighting a cigarette and taking a long draw. As he exhaled, he laughed and said, "It's a shame, Fenrir, that Lucius couldn't tag along tonight."

The whiskery face pulled away momentarily from Severus's chest. "He confided in me once, you know," Fenrir said, "that he wanted a piece of the little black haired boy." Then the painful pricks returned to Severus's collarbone, a sloppy tongue tracing along his jugular.

* * *

"Hagrid!" Remus pounded on the cabin door. "Hagrid, I need a thestral!"

There was a lazy groan from inside, and then the sound of heavy footsteps. The door opened and a mane of bushy black hair with beady eyes greeted him. "Yer up late, aren't yeh?" The smile left the big man's face when he saw Remus' serious expression. "What d'you need a thestral for, anyhow?"

"Someone I know might be in trouble, I've got to go find them."

Hagrid looked reluctant. "Off school grounds? I can't let you do that..." He trailed off as Remus stared at him. "Now listen here! Don' look at me that way either...I'll- I'll let yeh go but yeh can't be tellin' the whole school-"

Remus had already sprinted around to the garden and untied one of the skeletal winged horses.

* * *

Severus cried out as Fenrir forced himself inside the tight opening. In an instant, he was muffled by the stench of tobacco and sweaty lips covering his own. "You're going to crave this later, pet," someone grunted against his face.

They had torn his clothes off and thrown them unceremoniously across the room. Someone was using magic; though not completely immobilized, his wrists and ankles felt as though they were tied to anchors. He was spread open on his back under Fenrir, unable to fight back against the humiliation of his situation. He was trying hard not to cry, but a few tears crawled down his face.

"No reason to cry yet, laddie, we haven't even made you choke yet!" The face pulled away from his and Severus heard a belt buckle and a zipper. "No, please don't," he moaned the words, and the man laughed. Hands grasped his hair roughly, just as similar hands had done only a few hours earlier. He saw the erect cock quivering, the tip already dripping cum. Hips lurched and Severus felt his head jerked sharply down as the penis slid between his lips. Before he could even finish the thought, a wand touched his neck lightly.

"If you bite, I'll kill you."

* * *

The thestral landed gently beside the signpost reading 'Spinner's End'. Remus patted its neck and led it under a roof overhang in between a couple of disheveled buildings. "I'll be back, stay here." Pulling up his hood, he slipped down the street, glancing around nervously. Though it was sleeting, he counted on his keen senses to help him out.

But the weather had been foul for a long time it seemed, and he couldn't detect any scents lingering in the air. He strained to listen for anything, but the mechanical hissing of nearby factories was practically deafening to his sensitive ears. He wished he still had the owl with him, surely it would know where to look. But the owl...the owl gave him an idea.

Quietly, Remus climbed the fence of a darkened house, hoping no one was home. He found a trashcan against one wall, and heaved himself from the bin to the tattered gutter. Swinging his legs over, he managed to avoid a few loose tiles and rolled himself onto the roof. He lay quietly for a moment, in case there were inhabitants who had heard him. "Ho ho ho," he muttered.

Creeping on his stomach, he crawled to the other edge and scanned the stretch of road. The only things blocking his vision were a couple of gnarled trees, bare and dying. He squinted through the branches, and there...under the streetlamp. He thought he saw a slight disturbance in the snow. Glancing back once to check on the thestral, he leaped softly from the roof and landed almost silently in the snow below. Ducking below a window, he quickly unlocked the gate and slipped out.

Jogging up to the area in question, it was obvious there had been a struggle. As he scanned the surroundings, his heart lurched when he spotted a suitcase and birdcage poorly hidden behind a dumpster. Approaching, Remus could see that they bore the initials "S.S.". It was all he needed. He followed the messy footprints around the side of an abandoned building. Pressing his ear to the faded paneling, Remus heard a stifled shout and the dim sound of jeering. He frantically tried opening the huge door, and as he had guessed, it was barred tight. Slipping on the ice, he scrabbled along the sides in a desperate search for another way in.

* * *

Fenrir drove violently into Severus again and again and there was no mercy in his thrusts. He growled loudly, clawing with dirty nails at the boy's bare and bruised chest. Severus would have been screaming in pain, but the pulsing organ in his mouth was gagging him as it pushed further and further into his throat. The taste was acrid; filthy flesh chaffing the corners of his mouth. The pace of both assailants was quickening, and he dreaded what was coming next.

As if on cue, both men climaxed at the same time. Severus's head was wrenched forward by shaking hands and bony hips ground against his face. Then he felt the final thrust and the dick erupted inside his mouth. Cum spurted out against the back of his throat and tongue and he choked as the foul taste intensified. Tears welled up in Severus's eyes while Fenrir let out a howl of pleasure, pulling out and shooting his juices all over Severus's exposed stomach and crotch.

The hands released his head and both men pulled away from his body, breathing heavily. Thinking perhaps the worst was over, Severus turned his face and made to spit out the sticky ejaculate in his mouth. But a hand clapped over his lips and a husky voice commanded, "Swallow it. We're nowhere near finished."

He'd forgotten about the other man, the one who had been smoking the cigarette. He had been watching this whole time, he had seen it all and now it was his turn. Severus wished he were dead, wished he were still being beaten by his father, wished he were freezing in the snow. "Please..." he moaned, but the man was rubbing his growing bulge and his ruthless grin signified how hopeless Severus's situation was.

But suddenly all three men froze, Fenrir and his fellow still kneeling on the floor and the newest assailant hunched over Severus. "Did you hear that?"

There was a noise coming from outside one of the boarded up windows. Someone was tearing through the plywood; nails were popping loose and suddenly someone's gloved fingers appeared. In an instant, Fenrir and the other had apparated from the room. Severus looked at the remaining individual. Cruel and hungry eyes glared back at him. "I'll get my turn with you."

And with a small pop he was gone, leaving Severus slipping into unconsciousness on the basement floor.


	3. Chapter 3

Remus slumped against the wall in the corridor outside of the hospital wing, his head turned so he could stare in through the window. He could see Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore conversing in the corner, their faces solemn and full of concern. In the bed nearby, Severus lay motionless against the white pillows, his arms extended limply at his sides and his long black hair framing the thin, bruised face.

Remus turned away and closed his eyes, wishing to open them again and find himself still hanging decorations in the Great Hall. Instead, he opened them at the sound of Dumbledore stepping into the hallway and the door clicking softly behind him.

Remus stood up straight and faced the headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore, I'm sorry for leaving the school grounds without permission. Hagrid isn't to blame for my actions and I - "

Dumbledore silenced him with a raised hand and the weary flicker of a sad smile.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Remus." He glanced through the window. "But I wonder, what prompted you to act so quickly? I've been under the impression that you and your friends are not on the best of terms with Severus."

"Well you're right, my friends certainly don't like him much but the truth is I've always admired his intellect and I - well, sometimes I think if it weren't for my friends, Severus and I could have gotten along. And pardon me, sir, but I wasn't quick enough to do him any good at all." Remus lowered his eyes and frowned, but Dumbledore grabbed his shoulder and shook it gently.

"That's not true - you did a noble thing and I'm thankful that you found him as soon as you did. You saw the scratches on his arms, I presume. There's only one man I can think of with "claws" like that and you of all people should know who that is."

Remus looked up quickly, his eyes dark. "Fenrir..."

"Indeed. Had you not responded so swiftly, there may not have been much left to rescue."

Remus stared through the glass. "Professor, is he going to be alright?"

Dumbledore released his grip on Remus' shoulder and crossed his arms as he looked in at the pale boy where he lay. "Madam Pomfrey will be able to heal his injuries but I am afraid the real wound lies far deeper than the skin... recovery will require support, comfort, and time. What Severus needs most is a friend, Remus." Dumbledore glanced at his watch and sighed. "It's very late - or perhaps it would be better to say early. If you would like, I can escort you back to the Gryffindor dormitories..."

Remus nodded listlessly and the two of them began to walk down the corridor towards the staircase. But they hadn't taken more than twenty steps before Remus stopped and turned. "Actually Professor, would it be alright if I stay in the hospital wing for a while?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll alert Professor McGonagall to your whereabouts."

* * *

Severus was engulfed in darkness. The sound of laughter and jeering and gruff moans still echoed in his mind, the horror and disgust still pulsed through his veins. He was beginning to regain conscious awareness - though he kept his eyes closed, he could feel the cool sheets against his skin and he heard the soft vwuf-vwuf of overhead fans...

"I'm in the hospital wing," he thought to himself. "How did I get here?"

Things began to piece themselves together in his broken memory. Gloved hands. Yes, gloved fingers tearing those boards from the windows. The men, they had disapparated...left him there on the floor. The details got fuzzy, he had blacked out momentarily. A soft voice muttering a counter-charm, his arms and legs were no longer weighed down. Cold air from the opened window. He was so cold. A warm cloak, draped gently over his body. Wrapped would be the better word - carried from that terrible room. It was still snowing. He saw a face, recognized it, knew it, couldn't believe it, couldn't comprehend it. That face, the snow falling, the orange light of one streetlamp...a thestral, then darkness, comforting darkness.

Until this point. Now it all came back at once, the assault, the helplessness, the humiliation, the fear. His body ached and the gashes on his limbs and chest burned, and the scenes replayed against his eyelids - that unthinkable violation...Severus could not contain the flood of pain in his heart and he rolled sorely to his side with and cried despairingly, his sides heaving and his clenched eyes unable to prevent the tears which ran down his face. He shuddered with every sob and he could not control his emotion, he could not stop himself.

A hand suddenly came to rest softly on his exposed shoulder. Severus let out a strangled cry and his eyes shot open as he twisted around sharply and pinned the wrist of his uninvited company. He was fully prepared to fight, to kill-

But Severus found himself face to face with none other than a very frightened looking Remus Lupin. His other fist, tight and ready to swing, fell back to his side. The boy was seated and leaning slightly over the edge of the bed, his chair pulled right up to the mattress. His loose blonde hair fell at wild angles around his face and his wide eyes seemed sunken and heavy, though there was still something very alive and aware within the colorful depths. Severus released his grip and jerked his hand away from Remus. "Get out," he snarled.

"I'm sorry..." Remus muttered, averting his eyes and backing up a few steps before turning and leaving the room quickly and without a sound. Severus watched him slip into the dark corridor, his heart still pounding and his anger ebbing slowly away. As he lay back against the pillow, he began to regret his reaction. "_But what right does he have to watch me cry? Hasn't he seen enough tonight? Should I not have even an ounce of my own pride?" _Severus would lay awake until dawn, a storm of thoughts and emotions rumbling in his mind.

And halfway across the school in his otherwise empty dormitory room, Remus too would lay awake for many hours.


	4. Chapter 4

Morning came far too soon. Snow had fallen during the night and it rested in brightly glistening drifts on the windowsill, reflecting the sun's cheerful rays into the room. Remus groaned at the blazing color which lit his eyelids, and he rolled away from the window, groping momentarily for the scarlet bed curtains before managing to pull them closed. Immediately, he was shielded from the light.

"AHWOOOO AOOWH AOWWH OWROOO!" Remus cursed under his breath as the loud sound of howling suddenly began to blare from his bedside table. He yanked the curtains open again and slammed his hand against the alarm clock, which had started to sprout pointed, furry ears. With a whimper, it fell silent. Remus pressed his face against the thick white pillow wistfully for one more moment, then pushed himself up to sit at the edge of the mattress. "Thanks, Sirius," he grumbled, eyeing the clock grudgingly.

The room was still empty - Peter had not been there when Remus came back. This meant he was still staying in the hospital wing, and at that thought, Remus felt a twinge of unease. He had been so focused on Severus, he hadn't even noticed where Peter's cot was, or whether the activity had woken him. And if Peter had been awake, Remus wondered how much he had heard and been able to deduce.

At the thought of Severus, he felt another uncomfortable twinge in his stomach. It was almost a feeling of disappointment, though Remus knew he had no right to feel any resentment or anger. _"What did you expect," _he asked quietly to himself. _"Did you think he would just fall into your arms?"_ It was foolish to have believed his presence could have been any comfort... still, he wished he had not been so unceremoniously expelled from the bedside.

There was yet another twisting feeling deep inside him, but this time, it was more a pang of hunger than anything else. Remus realized he had not eaten since lunchtime the day before, and even that had been a small meal. He glanced again at the wereclock - 9:23. It would be cutting it close, but he thought maybe if he hurried, he might still make it to breakfast.

* * *

Severus woke with a start. Longs streams of light were pouring into the large room, and he hardly even needed to look at the clock on the wall to know that it was already well into the morning. He had only slept a couple hours, and very lightly at that.

As he rubbed his eyes wearily, a sudden, soft flutter of wings to his left caused him to jump. Cinnabar, his owl, sat perched atop his suitcase, and the familiar yellow eyes brought him a momentary feeling of comfort. The corners of his lips twitched at her inquisitive stare. With some effort, he stretched himself towards the suitcase and unzipped a small pouch, extracting a bag of owl treats.

"You're in luck," he told the bird quietly as he gave her a couple mouse-flavored pellets. "And I am also in luck," he added, "to have an owl as trustworthy as you."

"I wondered who they brought in last night..." A tentative voice called out from a cot against the opposite wall. The wheezy, high-pitched tone was unmistakable. Sure enough, when Severus looked up, he saw Peter Pettigrew, sitting up and staring at him from across the room.

"So it _is _you." He gawked openly at the bruises on Severus' face and arms. "What happened to _you_?"

"I don't believe that's any of your business, Pettigrew," Severus replied coldly. He took note of the greenish tint and scaly pattern on Peter's ears and neck.

"But it's business enough for Remus, is it?" Severus was taken aback for a moment by Peter's insolence and he found himself at a loss for words. It seemed Peter took this lapse as a sign of weakness and he continued. "I thought you left for the holiday. Don't your _parents_ even want you around? Did your muggle father drink one too many whiskeys? Those look like scratches on your arms - did he set the family dog on you, too?" Peter was obviously enjoying the feeling of empowerment as he watched a flush of red spread across Severus' frozen face. "I heard someone say they saw your owl in the Great Hall last night...couldn't fend for yourself? Came begging for help to Remus, no less. I always knew you weren't so tough. Wait until James and Sirius hear about how much you cried last night in your sleep, _Snivellus_."

Severus leapt from the bed and reached for his wand, which was resting on top of the suitcase. "You sick fuck, you'll be sorry-" Sparks flickered at the end of his wand as his fingers gripped its hilt. He raised his arm, weighing the different spells he could choose to use.

"Enough, both of you!" As Peter scrambled from his own bed and grabbed the wand which lay on the bedside table, Madam Pomfrey rushed into the room. She stood between them, looking rather cross and a tad bit worried. "Wands away!" Both boys reluctantly obeyed, a look of relief on Peter's face and a look of tormenting fury on Severus'. "Now _what _is the issue?" She demanded, looking back and forth at the two of them.

"Nothing at all," Severus replied curtly, reaching for his robes, folded neatly at the foot of the bed. Peter said nothing and simply sat back down. Madam Pomfrey watched as Severus pulled on his shoes and grabbed the handle of his suitcase. "Don't you think you should stay and rest a while longer?"

"No. Why?" He regretted the irritation in his voice, and tried to force a smile in her direction. "I'm fine, really. Thank you for housing me overnight, but I'd like to get back to my dorm. _Lizard breath _here is making me nauseous." He scowled at Peter as he walked past, muttering in an undertone, "I would be careful what you say." He snapped his fingers when he opened the door, and Cinnabar swooped once towards Peter menacingly as she followed Severus into the hallway.

He welcomed the familiar green glow of the Slytherin common room. It was empty, save for a snoring lump of blankets on one of the leather sofas. A few empty fire whiskey bottles lay scattered around on the stone floor, and as he approached, the student stirred and turned his head. "Mmfff. Some'n there?" It was Avery, who had evidently and unsurprisingly had too much to drink. Severus rolled his eyes and continued up the stone stairs towards the boys' dorm.

Once he had set down his luggage, he sat down on the edge of his bed. The other three were vacant - Rosier, Mulciber, and Baddock had all gone away for the holiday. Severus considered attempting to sleep for a couple more hours, but he did not want to be left alone with his thoughts. Instead, he decided to pay heed to the hunger nagging at his stomach, and to unpack his suitcase later.

* * *

Remus jumped down the last few steps of the marble staircase, but as he came into view of the long tables in the Great Hall, he was sorely disappointed to see the last of the baked goods fading from their platters. He groaned, and so did his stomach.

"I'm afraid it's a little late for breakfast, Remus..." Dumbledore's voice called from behind him, and he turned to see the headmaster descending the steps towards him. "However," he said, with a slight twinkle in his eye, "I am sure that the leftovers have not yet been disposed of. If you were to hurry down to the kitchens, I'm sure the elves would be happy to provide you with a couple blueberry scones, or perhaps one of those delectable cinnamon buns. I sent word that there might be a couple hungry students wandering the halls this morning..."

Remus, who had been imagining a cinnamon bun and a cup of coffee, glanced up nervously at the slight shift in tone. He knew it was inevitable that Dumbledore would want to talk about Severus, but Remus had no desire to think about what had happened, not now. Still, he waited obediently for Dumbledore to continue.

"Don't worry, I'll let you get to your breakfast. I will want to talk to you soon, though...and to him, as well. But I don't feel the main entrance to Hogwarts is the most discreet place to discuss such matters - do you?" Remus gave a half-smile and shrugged. "No, sir...these portraits listen a little too attentively."

"Very true. But I have only one brief concern, before you chase after those pastries. Madam Pomfrey has informed me of Severus' departure from the hospital wing this morning. She also mentioned you left sometime during the night. Did anything happen that I should know about?"

Remus shrugged again. "No sir, I was - I was tired, and I thought maybe it would be better for him to have his own space for a while." He felt awkward, thinking of the way Severus had exploded. He hoped Dumbledore was not reading his mind.

"Very well. I may send word for you later, but for now, it would be best for you to get to the kitchens." With that, Dumbledore nodded and turned. Remus stood still for a brief moment before also turning and making his way briskly towards the dungeon steps.


	5. Chapter 5

Remus grimaced as he walked carefully down the steep, stone steps. He always hated coming into the dungeons - it was such a dreary part of the school. He could feel the temperature drop as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and he pulled his robes tigher around his body. Unfortunately, this caused him to trip on the hem and he stumbled from the last step, crashing into someone who had just turned the corner to come upstairs. Remus yelped in surprise as he saw the green robes and long black hair.

"Hey, watch - _you_!" Severus took a step backwards and eyed Remus suspiciously. "Are you following me?"

"No! Really, I'm not," Remus protested quickly, hoping to avoid a hostile situation. "I was just on my way to the kitchens - I didn't mean to..." His voice faded into nothing, a pleading look in his eyes.

Severus' stony face seemed to soften ever so slightly. "It's fine," he said tersely. "You startled me is all." Remus looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

Severus scowled. "I said it's fine, you don't have to-"

"No," Remus cut him off. "I mean...about last night. I'm sorry."

Severus crossed his arms, but the scowl faded and was replaced with what Remus considered a rather incomprehensible expression. "Don't be. I was, I just, I reacted too quickly. But," he squared his shoulders a little, "why were you sitting there, anyway?"

"I just thought, after everything, maybe you'd need someone to talk...or want to..." Remus trailed off. He didn't really know why he had stayed in the hospital wing, to be honest.

"Well don't fool yourself. I don't _need _anyone and there's nothing to talk about. I'm fine." Though Severus' voice was defiant, it shook slightly on the last word that left his lips. But his posture was firm and clearly indicated that he did not want to say anything more on the subject. "Alright," Remus replied meekly. He stood there feeling awkward, unsure of whether he should try to instigate a conversation or not. He could think of nothing to say, but his feet felt like lead and his eyes flitted nervously down at the stone floor, his hands jammed into his pockets.

Severus, too, felt as if his feet were frozen to the spot where he stood. He was debating whether or not he should simply walk away at this point, but something about Remus... his submissive stance, perhaps, or the quiet way he spoke his words, or the way his brows were furrowed just a little bit, as if he were thinking hard and yet choosing not to speak, not yet.

Severus finally broke the silence. "I was going up to get something to eat...did you notice if there's still any breakfast left?"

"Oh, that's right," Remus said aloud, suddenly reminded of why he had come down here in the first place. "No, the tables were just being cleared when I got there...but," he added, quickly noting the way Severus' shoulders sagged at the news, "Dumbledore told me the elves would still have some leftovers. It's just - I'm not really sure where the kitchens are. I've only been down here for Potions class. If you brought me there, I'm sure the house elves could give you something to eat as well."

Severus hesitated, then shrugged. "Sure. It's closer to the Hufflepuff dorms, but if you follow me, I'll show you a shortcut."

They walked down a sloping corridor which eventually split. To the left, Remus recognized the main hallway to the Potions classroom. Severus took the passage on their right, which was elevated by a few stone steps and abruptly opened up into a small chamber which was slightly wider than the hallway and had rounded walls. Against the far wall, there was a stone bench with two green marble basins and a tiny faucet carved like a snake's head on either side. "Turn it," Severus said, pointing to the glittering serpent on the left as he twisted the other. Remus obeyed and clear water ran in a steady stream, quickly filling the basin. When both seemed close to overflowing, the water suddenly shut off and there was a gentle shudder as the wall began to slide open.

"Cool," muttered Remus. He made a mental note to add this to the Marauder's Map. Severus smiled with smug satisfaction as he used the bench to step up into the hidden passage. Remus followed suit.

After Remus had climbed up, the wall behind them moved back into place. Remus jumped and looked around. Noticing the slight look of worry on his face, Severus jerked his head towards the smooth wall in from of them. "Don't worry." The wall seemed to crumble down the middle, leaving a hole just large enough for one person to slip through at a time.

As Remus stepped through and the pieces of stone seemed to mesh themselves back together, he found the difference in atmosphere remarkable. The Hufflepuff wing was warmly lit, the stone seemed practically golden and the temperature was much more comfortable. He'd been down here plenty of times before, but had never really taken the time to compare this part of the dungeons to the Slytherin side. They walked down the hallway, which was significantly wider than the ones from which they had just come and decorated with various still life paintings. Remus recognized the painting which concealed the Hufflepuff common room as they passed it. Severus stopped at a large painting of a bowl of fruit.

"This is the entrance to the kitchens," he said. Remus looked at him blankly, and asked, "So...how do I get in?"

Severus sighed and felt a little color flush across his cheeks. "You..." the words took great effort to say. "You have to... _tickle _the pear." Remus simply chuckled. "That's not so bad," he said with a smile, and reached towards the fruit. His sleeve slid down his arm just a bit and Severus found his eyes lingering for a couple seconds at the silver scars that twisted down from Remus' fingers, past his wrist and out of view.

But the pear's shrill giggle and subsequent transformation into a doorknob brought Severus quickly back to task. Luckily, Remus was too pleased with his new discovery to have noticed Severus' wandering gaze. He grabbed the doorknob and looked inquisitively back over at Severus. "Aren't you coming?"

Severus shook his head slowly. "No...I think I'll wait out here. You go ahead." He suddenly looked very uncomfortable, and Remus shrugged. "Okay, I'll bring something back for you." He disappeared behind the painting and it swung back into position.

Severus leaned against the wall, his fingers tapping nervously. He would have loved to follow Remus, but he knew that his presence would be unwelcome in the kitchens. The Hogwarts house elves had plenty of reasons to resent Slytherin students, and Severus knew that even though he had refused to be a part of Avery and Macnair's cruel tricks, his reputation had surely been damaged because of his connections with them.

Not too far down the hall, a painting suddenly swung forward and two Hufflepuff girls, most likely second or third years, came clambering out. They had been giggling over some senseless matter, but their bubbly laughter stopped short at the sight of Severus. He looked away and hunched his shoulders, wishing he could disappear. They scurried by silently, glaring at him as they passed.

Luckily, they were the only other students he encountered while waiting, and Remus reappeared within five minutes. He was a sight to be seen - balancing a doughnut on one shoulder, a butter knife and a bowl of marmalade in his right hand, two cups of coffee wedged between the fingers on his left, four or five pieces of toast teetering precariously along his arms, and a cinnamon bun held carefully between his teeth. Overall, he looked rather maniacal. Severus quickly reached over and grabbed the pieces of toast before they fell, stacking them on top of the bowl of marmalade and then taking one of the cups of coffee for himself. Freed of some of his burden, Remus took the cinnamon bun from his mouth and grinned. He tilted his head towards his left shoulder. "Got the doughnut for you, mate."


	6. Chapter 6

Remus munched his toast quietly and gazed around the dorm room with a subjective appreciation of the Slytherins' taste for grandour. He was leaning against an exquisitely carved bedpost, adorned with twisting serpents whose eyes were formed from imbedded jewels. His legs were outstretched on the heavy green quilt, and he knew that this was Mulciber's bed, because the name was printed into a golden plaque on the headboard. The ceiling was rather high, even for the dungeons, and the greenish blue light cast strange shadows across the room.

"So where are Potter and Black, anyway? I thought you three were inseperable."

Remus jumped at Severus' abrupt question, and a few crumbs fell onto the expensive fabric beneath him. Hastily, he brushed them away and glanced up at his companion, but no look of concern crossed the pale boy's expression. Severus was sitting on his own bed, crosslegged and hunched forward just slightly. He had already eaten the doughnut and the coffee cup was now nestled between his hands as if he were trying to warm up his fingers...and given the temperature of the dungeons, this was not unlikely.

Remus frowned. "Well, they uh...they left for the holiday. Sirius went skiing with the Potters." He felt as if there was more to say, but that was really it. Severus nodded and took a small sip of coffee. Remus could not help but think that there was something unique about the way the steam rose and disappeared into the blue light - it seemed to illuminate Severus' features; his dark eyes, his pointed nose, his...

"It's strange, isn't it?" The soft voice again interrupted Remus' train of thought. "I mean, why wouldn't they invite you?" Severus spoke slowly, as if contemplating some great issue. His lips were curled but not in a smile...Remus truly could not identify the mood which was being evoked.

"No, no," he replied, perhaps a little too hastily. "They _did _ask me, sure, but I wasn't feeling so well a few days ago and I didn't want to be a burden. If I'd been sick, it wouldn't have been fun for anyone." He hoped he sounded convincing. The truth was that the full moon had been on the night Sirius and James departed for the Potters' home and they had decided it would be too endangering of a situation if Remus was accompanying them. Not that he could really disagree, but nonetheless, it was a sore disappointment. Of course, Remus was not about to divulge any of these details with Severus at the moment, despite the newfound amenity between them.

"You do seem to get sick a lot," Severus mused, and Remus could not tell if it was directed at him, or simply a thought spoken aloud. Either way, he really wanted to get away from the topic. He searched for something to divert the conversation.

"Peter!" He blurted. It certainly did catch Severus' attention, and the boy looked up in surprise. "Beg pardon?"

Remus blushed, embarrassed by his rushed outburst. "You forgot him...Peter, I mean. When you said the three of us - it's really the four of us." He ran his fingers through his shaggy hair in self-directed exasperation; he knew his words had come tumbling out all wrong. He hoped Severus could at least understand what he was talking about.

Unfortunately, it seemed the mention of Peter was perhaps not the best change of topic Remus could have chosen. Severus' face darkened. "I saw him in the hospital wing this morning," he muttered, staring down at his coffee cup as if he were having a conversation with the swirling black liquid instead of Remus.

"Oh?"

"Yes." Severus' voice was suddenly cold. "What happened?" Remus asked in a hushed voice. Severus looked up with an angry gleam in his eye, though Remus could tell it was not meant for him. "He had some rather presumptuous jests, mentioning you, and how last night I was- " Severus cut off, his lips tight and his face hard. Remus could only too well imagine Peter, clever as he was, trying to piece together what had happened so he could use it as ammunition. Even so, Remus could not allow for potential conflict. "I'm sure he was unaware of the circumstances, Severus. He's -"

"He's an arrogant little rodent is what he is, and if he starts running his mouth I swear I'll make him pay." The atmosphere in the room had become rather uncomfortable and Remus wished he had not mentioned Peter at all. He would not dare argue with Severus, because he knew that Peter had probably done his best to hurt his enemy while he was weak - the only time Pettigrew would attack was if he was sure he had the upper hand. Remus snuck a glance at Severus. He was sitting quite still, gripping his coffee cup so tightly that Remus was surprised it hadn't shattered. Despite the lingering tension in the air, Remus again could not help but be drawn to Severus' face. And for the first time since the night before, Remus noticed the heavy bruising on his pallid skin. Perhaps he had not seen it before because of the shadows and curtain of straight black hair, but at the current angle, Remus could see it all very clearly, purple and blue across his cheeks and eyes.

"I'm sorry for whatever he said to you," he practically whispered, afraid that Severus would suddenly lash out. "The truth is, I don't care for him much either." Severus smirked at the last remark - _thank goodness_, Remus thought to himself. "It's okay," Severus said hesitantly. "It's not your fault he's a prick." Black eyes met green briefly and Remus smiled back...

Just at that moment there was a knock at the door and Remus leapt from the bed, alarmed. "Severus, 'zat you 'n there? C'n I come in?" Severus stood up a little too quickly and cursed as he spilled coffee on his hand. "It's Avery," he hissed to Remus. "Hide," he pointed to the other side of his bed. Feeling slightly foolish, Remus crouched down and slid underneath. A spider, clearly disturbed by this intrusion, scuttled away across the floor. Other than that, however, it was surprisingly clean beneath Severus Snape's bed. Remus wondered how many people besides him could possibly know this.

Severus crossed the room and opened the door just a crack. "It's me," he said, and his voice seemed hoarser than it had been moments before. "I'm sick."

Remus thought he saw Avery's feet move a step or two back. "Really? D'you think it's contagious?"

"I don't think so...but I could really use a favor." Remus was impressed by Severus' acting ability; he sounded genuinely ill. "Professor Flitwick had a whole stash of Ice Mice in his cupboards for his third year classes to study. They really make my throat feel much," Severus inserted a massive coughing fit, "better. Think you could snatch a few for me?"

"I don't know..." Avery didn't sound too excited about the prospect. But Severus pleaded, "Come on, just do it. Besides, I hear he's got some Fizzing Whizbees in there, too. It wouldn't hurt to take a few for yourself while you're there."

"Alright, but I'm not sharing the Whizbees with you. I'll be back in a little while." Remus heard Avery's footsteps moving away and the door clicked shut again. A moment later, Severus was kneeling down beside the bed and peering at him. "That should give you time to sneak back out of the dungeons. Most Slytherins don't take kindly to Gryffindors, if you haven't noticed."

"Oh, I've noticed," Remus grunted as he wiggled out from beneath the bed. He used the bedpost to pull himself up and turned, only to find himself standing just a little closer to Severus than he'd expected. He reached up to straighten his robes as Severus made to step around him and for a split second, Remus' hand brushed against the boy's bony shoulder. Severus flinched unintentionally at the contact but made no other sign that he had noticed. He opened the door and stuck his head into the hallway, looking both ways before stepping aside and holding it open for Remus.

"Thank you for breakfast," he said quietly. Remus smiled and winked as he slipped past and hurried back to the cold hallways of the dungeons. His heart was still pounding from almost being caught by Avery...or was it something else that had quickened his pulse? As he ascended the stairs to the main entrance, he could not shake the image of Severus' delicate face from his mind, nor could he forget the electric feel of Severus' shoulder against his hand, even as brief as the encounter had been.


	7. Chapter 7

Merry Christmas, guys! I know, I know...it's been forever since I updated this story but it's been killing me as much as it's been killing you, so I'm jumping back on board. Can ya forgive me?

* * *

As he emerged from the dungeons, Remus realized he had very little desire to go back to the dormitory. Flashbacks from the night before kept appearing before his eyes and he felt a strange sense of anxiety in the pit of his stomach, along with plenty of other mixed up feelings. The last thing he needed was to be alone with his thoughts. So, with no other clever ideas coming to mind, he distractedly made his way to visit Peter in the hospital wing.

As he passed through the glass doors, Remus couldn't help but think of how he had been here only a few hours ago. He remembered how limp Severus felt in his arms, how light he had been to carry, how naked and broken he'd looked before Remus wrapped him in his cloak.

"Hello, Moony!" Peter's high, wheezy voice brought Remus back to the present. Peter was sitting up in bed against a stack of pillows, a book resting on his lap. "Hi, Peter...how are you feeling?" Remus approached the bedside and leaned against the windowsill.

"Oh, I'm alright," he replied offhandedly. "I'm not cold-blooded anymore and the scales are almost gone, at least." Peter seemed uninterested in the attention, which was rather unusual for him. He was usually a drama queen about anything that happened to him. But right now, he was eyeing his friend with a sort of strange curiousity that made Remus incredibly uncomfortable.

"Sleep late this morning, Moony?"

"No. Well yes," Remus began nervously. "But I didn't sleep _that _late. I would have dropped by to see you sooner, but I was getting breakfast."

"I didn't realize there was still breakfast at this hour." Peter's expression was hard to read, but Remus didn't like the way his lips were curved just slightly at the corners, or the slightly smug tone he was using.

"They aren't," he said shortly. "But the tables had just been and I happened to run into Professor Dumbledore and he - "

"Oh! Dumbledore!" Peter interrupted suddenly. "He came by and left a message just a little while ago... he figured you'd be stopping in here to pay me a visit. He said he'd like to talk privately with you in his office as soon as you get the chance. The password is stringmint."

"Oh. Erm, alright then." Remus avoided meeting Peter's interrogating gaze. "Well, I should probably go find out what he wants, I suppose." He made an attempt to fake an oblivious shrug, though it looked much more like an exasperated flail.

"Sure. You should do that." Peter's voice was calm and flat.

"Okay, I'll see you later, then." He gave a small wave and walked briskly towards the doors. He didn't necessarily want to go talk to Dumbledore, but he preferred that over staying in the hospital wing with Peter for any longer. The atmosphere was just too tense and strange between them, and it wasn't something he could deal with right now.

* * *

While Avery was safely out of the way, Severus hastened to straighten up the room. He cleaned off Mulciber's bed, straightened the blankets, and readjusted the pillow. He made sure there were no stray crumbs on the floor. When everything seemed in order, he propped himself up on his own bed and grabbed a book, _Most Potente Potions_, from the end table. Might as well play up the part of being sick.

But he could not focus on the words on the page in front of him. His mind was too busy spinning in every direction; he felt tense, angry, weary, distracted. Images of the night before continued to flash before his eyes and he tried desperately to push them away with any thoughts that came to mind; schoolwork, dinner, the weather, Remus...

The door opened and Avery trudged into the room, his arms full of sweets. "Got your mice here," he said, dumping the load onto his mattress and then chucking the box of Ice Mice across the room to Severus. "Thanks," he responded hoarsely, and took one out of the package. His teeth squeaked as he bit into the peppermint candy.

"Hey, who else was here?"

"What?" Severus felt his heart skip a beat..._how did Avery know_?

"There's two cups in here. One on your table, and one on Mulciber's." He was right. _Shit_, Severus thought to himself. He'd completely overlooked the spare cup.

"Uh, I grabbed breakfast earlier...and I was feeling real lousy so I got two cups of coffee to help wake me up." It was the best excuse he could think of on the spot, but luckily Avery seemed to accept it without question. Severus tried to think of something else to talk about. "I see you found more than just the Fizzing Whizbees, Ave." He pointed to the half dozen Chocolate Frogs scattered across the bed.

"I couldn't help myself..." Avery grinned that greedy, crooked smile of his. "But I think I'll save'm for later - I've got a fuckin' awful hangover. I'm just gonna lay down for awhile." With that, he cleared a space on his bed and flopped down onto the mattress, his face obscured by a green pillow.

Severus stayed in bed pretending to read until he heard Avery's breath grow slow and heavy. When he was sure his roommate was asleep, Severus stepped quietly across the room and through the bathroom door, closing it behind him. That coffee was starting to hit him. He pissed, flushed, and stepped up to the sink to wash his hands. When he had turned off the water and dried his hands on the small towel hanging by the faucet, he looked up and caught sight of himself in the mirror.

The shocked reflection that stared back at him looked terrible. He pushed his hair away from his cheeks to reveal the bruises that had bloomed across his face. They stood out even more because of how pale his skin was. His lips were cut and chapped - come to think of it, had he had anything to drink besides that coffee? He turned the sink back on, taking a long sip from his cupped hands. Two of his fingernails were broken. Madam Pomfrey had apparently been able to eliminate the pain, but Severus wondered why the wounds themselves hadn't healed. And how much more damage had been done?

Severus reached past the shower curtain and turned on the hot water. Slowly, he undressed in front of the mirror, taking in every inch and imperfection of his body. He cringed as more and more bruises were exposed, on his neck, his chest, his wrists, hips, thighs, ankles. Almost unconsciously, Severus leaned towards the glass and lightly touched each blemish and mark on his flesh. He could feel nothing, but they were there. There were scratches, too, on his collarbone and across his stomach. Though - he closed his eyes painfully - it was more likely that they were bite marks.

He felt a wave of nausea and steadied himself against the sink. He wished he had asked Avery for something other than Ice Mice; the smell of peppermint was making his head pound. Another wave hit him and this time Severus dropped to his knees and leaned over the toilet bowl. Beads of cold sweat ran down his forehead and shoulders as he shivered and waited to hurl. He felt tears creeping at the corners of his eyes, but Peter's taunting voice echoed in the back of his mind. "_Wait until James and Sirius hear about how much you cried last night in your sleep, Snivellus."_

After a seemingly endless amount of time dry heaving and shivering on the bathroom floor, Severus' misery hardened into frustruation. _It'd be easier to just get this over with, _he thought. He'd never made himself throw up before, but he knew how it was done. He braced himself for the act and leaned forward a little more before reaching a finger into the back of his throat. It took a few seconds of gagging before he got it right, and the meager contents of his stomach were introduced to the toilet water. Severus leaned back up against the wall, his hair damp from sweat and condensation in the air. He felt better already.

* * *

Unfortunately for Remus, the atmosphere in Dumbledore's office was hardly any more comfortable than the hospital wing. The warm, soft glow of lamps along the walls was offset by the cold light filtering in from outside the tall, narrow windows. Remus entered the room hesitantly. The headmaster was sitting at his desk, staring down at the surface. He looked up as Remus crossed the threshold of the door.

"Ah, there you are, Mister Lupin. I suspected you'd be arriving soon." He gestured to the chair on the other side of the desk. "Please sit."

Remus sat down on the old, red plush seat. He looked up at Dumbledore, whose bright blue eyes seemed heavy but piercing nonetheless. "I'm sure you know what I want to talk with you about."

Remus nodded tightly.

"Before anything else, I can't stress how dangerous it was for you to take matters into your own hands like you did. When you got the letter, why didn't you come alert me, or Professor McGonagall?"

"I'm sorry, I just...I know it was a rash decision, professor. I don't know why I didn't tell anyone. Maybe it's because with everyone gone for the holiday, I just really wanted something to do. Some sort of adventure. Some good deed." He looked down sadly. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

Dumbledore laid one of his hands on the polished surface of the desk. "Please don't think that I am ungrateful for your willingness to act so quickly. I don't doubt your good intentions. But in hindsight, given the circumstance and the individuals involved, I hope you realize how foolish it was to go off on your own."

"Yes sir."

Satisfied with Remus' humble response, Dumbledore pulled a small, folded piece of parchment from the pocket of his robes and pushed it across the desk. It was the note that Severus had written. "I do recall that you explained what happened last night when you arrived back at the castle. However, we were all obviously a bit distracted and the conversation was quite brief. If you can, I need you to tell me now, in full, everything that took place last night."

Remus leaned back and took a deep breath before he began. At first, he had no trouble; he explained how he had been helping to decorate the Great Hall, how the owl had flown in and knocked him off the ladder, what time his watch had read as he threw on his cloak and dashed through the front doors of the castle. He did fib once, saying he'd sneaked into the thestral pen without asking permission, but this was for Hagrid's sake and it didn't affect the rest of the story. He explained how he'd landed in Spinner's End, the footprints in the snow, the abandoned building, the muffled noises coming from the basement level, the boards on the window. But it was here, when trying to explain what he had seen inside, that he found himself suddenly faltering, his throat tight, his legs weak. He swallowed and tried again, but nothing more than stuttered syllables fell from his lips.

The headmaster raised his hand gently. "This is undoubtedly a difficult thing to talk about. Would you prefer to show me, instead?"

Remus glanced up, his eyebrows furrowed. "I'm n-not sure what you mean, professor."

Dumbledore stood up and crossed the room, opening the door of a cabinet and withdrawing a small stone basin from one of the shelves. "This is a Pensieve," he said, coming back over to set it down upon the desk. Remus stared at the strange, swirling liquid. "It allows one to extract and review memories...the relief it brings to a burdened mind is incredibly soothing as well. This may make it easier for both of us."

Remus had never seen a Pensieve before, but he had read about them and trusted Dumbledore's suggestion. With the bearded wizard's instruction, he held his wand to his temple and allowed the memory of Spinnet's End to pass through his mind. As he pulled the wand away, a silver strange of light clung to the tip. Dumbledore pointed to the basin. "Just place it in there. Then take my hand and we'll follow."

After a moment of feeling as if he were falling, Remus found himself standing once again on the snowy, deserted sidewalks of Spinner's End, this time with Dumbledore at his side. As he looked around at the all too familiar scenery, a movement caught the corner of his eye. Remus turned and gasped, surprised to see himself jumping from a rooftop to the ground below, causing the soft snow to puff around his feet. Dumbledore motioned that they follow as 'Remus', the _memory_ Remus, walked briskly across the street towards a solitary lamp post.

Dumbledore kept close as they moved down the alley, but Remus hung behind. He didn't care much to relive this experience. He kept his eyes lowered, listening to the sound of nails being pulled from the boards they held in place. The splintering sound of wood being peeled from the windowpane.

And suddenly the basement materialized around them. Remus could almost smell the dank, filthy stench of mildew and sweat and sex. Though he kept his eyes averted, he could see in the corner of his vision the figure sprawled across the floor. He felt as if it were a violation of Severus' privacy by allowing Dumbledore to see the scene in its entirety. But Dumbledore was not looking, either. He had turned away as well, the lines of his face deeper and sadder. "That's enough," he said, placing a hand on Remus' shoulder and pulling them away from the dark spectacle.

Back in his office, Dumbledore drew the memory from the Pensieve and placed it in a small glass vial. "Would you like me to keep this here?" Remus nodded. His heart did feel less heavy; though the memory was not _gone _from his mind, it took more effort to recall and the images themselves were less vivid.

"I take it you didn't get a glimpse of Severus' attackers before they disapparated?"

"No," said Remus, shaking his head. "Is that what you wanted to see?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes. I was hoping to identify the wizards responsible, but seeing as you didn't catch their faces, I felt it would be unnecessary to stay any longer."

Remus frowned. "I'm sorry I don't have more information for you, professor."

"You shouldn't be sorry for things you have no control over, Remus. And please know that my office is open any time, if there are things bothering you. But if you haven't any questions right now, I'll let you be on your way. I still need to talk to Severus."

The boy flicked a couple loose strands of blonde hair from his eyes. "About him, actually. Professor, don't take this the wrong way, it's just that I was wondering why you -"

"Why I wanted to talk to you before I spoke with Severus?"

"Er, yes."

"I wanted to get as many details from you first, so he won't have to relive the experience quite so vividly."

"Right..." Remus's neck was starting to hurt from all the nodding he was doing. "Well, I suppose I'll be going now. Good luck with Severus, professor."

* * *

Severus had no idea how long he had been in the bathroom, but when he finally snapped from his reverie and pulled himself to his feet, the shower had run cold. Which meant he had definitely been in there for a good while, because until then, Severus hadn't even thought the hot water _could _run out in the bathrooms. It had never happened before, at least. But after everything, he couldn't just skip getting clean, so he endured the ice cold water for long enough to wash his hair and scrub himself down. He stepped out of the shower colder than ever, his fingertips and toes turning purple. Throwing his taupe-colored towel over his shoulders and then tightly wrapping it around his narrow frame, he opened the door and stepped softly back into the dormitory.

Avery was gone. The light in the room had grown more blue, signifying that it was already getting close to evening. Had he really been in the bathroom for hours? Severus hoped Avery hadn't noticed. He threw his towel onto his bed for a moment as he searched through his trunk for clean clothes. He touched each bruise again before hiding them beneath black socks, black trousers, and a light grey turtleneck. As he reached for his robes, a faint scratching noise came from outside the door. Severus approached cautiously and opened the door just enough to peer through the space. Nothing...

A sudden meow made him jump and he cursed under his breath as a grey and white cat pushed the door open with its nose. It carried a small note carefully between its teeth and dropped the parchment at Severus' feet, then sat and stared expectantly up at him.

"Oh go on, get," he muttered, picking up the paper. "I don't have anything for you, I'm sorry." The cat switched its tail a couple times before slinking back out of the room. Severus watched it leave, then looked back down at the note in his hands.

_Severus,_

_I'd like for us to speak this evening in my office, whenever you have time to spare._

_-Professor Dumbledore_


	8. Chapter 8

Severus forced himself to meet the headmaster's steady blue gaze. _Empty, _he thought. _Nothing, empty..._He could feel a strange creeping sensation along his temple, a sort of static inside his skull. And still he willed himself to think of nothing, to keep his mind empty, blank.

Dumbledore finally leaned back into his chair and looked away towards the window, where heavy white flakes of snow were drifting down in front of a steel grey sky. The aging man let out a tired sigh and stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Severus, I fear I know what you are trying to do."

There was a pause, and the two of them sat together in silence. The boy waited with stiff resolve, afraid to let down his mental guard.

"I respect your decision not to let me in...I realize there are things you may not want me to see. But you must know, my boy, that isolation is exactly what Voldemort wants his victims to experience. By keeping everything locked inside - "

"I told you, I don't remember anything." Severus interrupted the headmaster's lecture curtly. He clenched his toes and continued to maintain eye contact. It took every ounce of energy to keep his thoughts blank as again he felt the electricity pass through his head. He focused on his breathing, keeping it steady. _Inhale. Exhale. _He tried to fill every corner of his mind with the color blue.

The prickling sensation eventually subsided, and Dumbledore again sighed. "You're obviously a skilled Occlumens...or they really did obliviate you," he added quickly, as Severus opened his mouth to protest. "I will not pry any further, Severus." The older man raised his hand in peaceful surrender. "But can you tell me, then, what you _do_ remember? Anything? Their faces? Their voices?"

"Nothing," the boy began, but immediately the memories began to slip back into his brain and appear before his eyes. He heard their jeering voices, saw the leering eyes, practically felt the prickle of stubble against his chest...

"Yes, yes...I do." The headmaster nodded gently and sat very still, listening. "There were three men. One was quite large - tall, I mean. They were all very filthy...they stank, they were unshaven, their clothes were dirty." He stopped himself. "But that's all. I don't remember anymore. Why are you asking me these things, anyway. Why do we have to talk about it?"

"I apologize, Severus. I only hoped I could identify your other two attackers...besides Fenrir, I can't be sure. It seems they apparated before Remus could get a glimpse of them."

"What?" Severus practically shouted as he stood up swiftly from the chair. "You already spoke with _him _about this?"

"Severus, you must understand..." But Severus was already backing away towards the door, his pale cheeks burning. "I understand plenty, professor," he snapped. "I'm afraid if Remus couldn't give you any answers, then I will be of no more help than him. Have a good evening, sir." With that, he spun sharply on his heel and exited the room, the door shutting heavily behind him. The headmaster made no move to stop him.

* * *

After his meeting with the headmaster, Remus had returned to the dormitory, already feeling quite exhausted despite how early it was in the afternoon. No sooner had he taken off his shoes and flopped down into his soft nest of blankets than he fell fast asleep. When he groggily awoke later, he expected perhaps an hour at most to have passed. But looking at his clock, he was startled to see it was nearly 8 o'clock. And, looking around the dormitory, he suddenly received a much greater shock. Seeing the presents still laid out on his friends' beds, he gasped aloud – this had been Christmas day! And what a terrible friend Remus chided himself for being – poor Peter was in the hospital wing all by his lonesome. Slipping his shoes back on and grabbing the carefully wrapped dragonhide gloves, Remus was once again making his way to the hospital wing.

Peter peeled away the wrapping paper with such delicate care that Remus wished he had just bought a gift bag instead. He watched with anticipation as he friend pulled out the gloves, holding them up against the light to get a better look at them. Finally, Peter looked up. "I thought you might have forgotten," he said quietly, the expression on his face unreadable. Remus looked at him questioningly. It was not quite the response he'd hoped for. "What?"

"I thought you might have forgotten it was Christmas. I'm glad you remembered, though… these are fantastic, Remus, thank you." For good measure, he slipped one on to demonstrate the fit. Remus smiled, relieved. "No, of course I wouldn't forget…I'm glad you like them!" He looked around the hospital wing, noting Madam Pomfrey watching him from her office. He knew that visiting hours ended at eight, and that he was pushing the limits. "When do you think you'll be leaving here?" he asked Peter.

"Oh, I'll probably be fine by tomorrow morning. I'd like to be out of here tonight, but," he glanced towards Madam Pomfrey, "She's in charge, not me." Remus nodded knowingly. "Right, well…speaking of her, I should probably leave so she can lock up. It'll be nice to have you back in action, Peter." They said their goodbyes, and Remus left the hospital wing. Again, he had little desire to return quite yet to the dormitory. He knew the library would be closing up soon, but thought that perhaps he could wander there and grab a book or two before Madam Pince locked the doors.

* * *

Merry chatter and the cheerful clinking of silverware bubbled from the Great Hall as Severus made his way back down the marble staircase. He didn't feel much like eating at the moment, but even his anger could not fully mask the cold sensation of hunger creeping through his gut. It became worse as he reached the bottom of the stairs, the various savory aromas wafting out into the entrance to tempt him. He could not help but glance into the huge hall as he passed by. Golden croissants, piles of mashed potatoes, bowls of mixed greens and steaming pots of stew and…

"No," he muttered to himself. The thought of food held no appeal, though his stomach would beg to differ. And it did so, growling rather loudly as he began to walk towards the dungeons.

"Severus!"

He froze, then turned around slowly. He had lingered a moment too long, and Avery, who was eating at the far end of the Slytherin table, had spotted him.

"Severus, I was beginnin' to think you'd drowned in the shower. Come sit with us!" A few others were eating with Avery, and they all waved for him to join. Unable to come up with any decent excuse, Severus grudgingly made his way over to an empty seat, across from Avery. Sitting next to him was Antonin Dolohov, who watched as Severus carefully dished a modest portion of salad and steamed carrots onto his plate.

"It's funny," the burly teen said to him when he had finished. "I thought you had gone home for the holiday."

Severus' fork halted for a split second on its way towards the vegetables below. "Yes," he said as offhandedly as possible, "well, you don't have to be gone the whole break, do you?" Dolohov shrugged. "No, but coming back on _Christmas_?" Severus nearly inhaled the piece of lettuce he had been chewing on and immediately erupted into a coughing fit. He had completely forgotten it was Christmas Day. When he had managed to stop choking, he made a great effort to keep his response cool and unsurprised. "It was easier for my parents, in terms of scheduling, for me to return sooner." He looked up firmly, first at Dolohov, then at Avery, who had been listening silently. Both seemed to feel the finality of Severus' statement, and luckily Avery interjected.

"When exactly did you get back, anyway?"

Severus poked another piece of lettuce underneath an isolated carrot. "This morning," he replied quickly. It wasn't even really a lie. "That's a shame," Rodolphus Lestrange muttered from a few seats down the table. He leaned forward a bit. "You missed one hell of a party last night." Severus raised his eyebrows. "You really did. I'm still sufferin' from it," Avery laughed. Everyone else had similarly guilty grins on their faces as well.

"Where?" Severus asked with a bit of genuine curiosity as he continued to push the greens around his plate.

"In Hogsmeade," Rodolphus responded. "Out in the woods, just a ways behind the Shrieking Shack. Rabastan is working at a pub in town for the winter, and he got his hands on some excess shipments of Blishen's Firewhiskey. He figured he'd share with his old House." Rodolphus' brother had graduated a couple years before, and Severus had always felt that between the two of them, Rabastan was the more dangerous one. Providing whiskey to underage wizards must have been a real treat for him.

"Anyway," Avery continued where Rodolphus left off, "It was a wild night. No one caught us, and there were only a couple of minor incidents." He laughed again at Severus' inquisitive stare. "You wouldn't believe what Dolohov here tried to do…"

"Let's just say I had myself a date with Katerine McLaggen," Antonin smirked.

Severus' eyebrows shot a little further up his forehead. "The Ravenclaw girl? How on _earth _did you manage that?"

"It was almost like _magic_, Severus. You see, I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be."

Severus frowned. He didn't like how that sounded. "Do you mean…?"

"Let's just say she was under my command. You get what I'm saying?"

"But that's illegal," Severus exclaimed in a hushed voice. He couldn't believe – well, actually, he could. Still, this was quickly becoming quite a dark tale.

"We're not even to the best part," Avery muttered, his grin lit up as eerily as a jack o' lantern's. He gestured for Dolohov to continue.

"C'mon Severus, she's one sweet piece of candy. Those legs, thosehips, those _lips_…I've wanted her since third year. You can't blame me for bringing her along." He waited for a reply, but Severus was waiting quietly to hear the rest. "Anyway, after a few drinks I was pretty excited to get her alone so I brought her to this little woodshed not too far from where the bonfire was." Antonin licked his lips, his breath quickening. "She's as good as she looks, I'll tell you that. I had her down on her knees and she was sucking me like a pro... _God _she was fantastic. I was about to come for the _second _time. But then all of a sudden her crazy friend came bursting in there, right out of the blue. I guess they'd had plans to study or something and when Katarine didn't show up, she came looking for her." He shook his head in frustruation. "So when this bitch comes kicking down the door, I completely lose my concentration and suddenly Katarine's hollering and hitting me and her friend is screaming and it was just one royal mess. Long story short, I had to obliviate them both."

"Fuckin' bitches," Avery added for good measure. They were both looking at Severus as if expecting some similar form of affirmation. But Severus was speechless. Dolohov had told him plenty of horrible things before, but this was the worst he had heard so far. Using an Unforgivable Curse… well, even Severus had used the Imperius Curse once or twice. But he would _never_ dream of using it for something of this nature.

"That's quite the story," he managed to choke out, staring down at the mutilated pieces of food on his plate. He had hardly eaten, but now a dull ache was rising in the pit of his stomach and he could hardly look at the orange and green pieces before him. He looked around. It suddenly felt as if everyone was watching him closely. He felt his ears getting pink. His palms were beginning to sweat. He couldn't stand being in this room; it was too warm, too loud, too bright. He stood up from the bench and straightened his robes nervously. "I'm sorry, I have to run. I…forgot I had to do something." He turned and exited the Great Hall before anyone could stop him.


	9. Chapter 9

"Just one more minute," Remus pleaded as a shadow fell across the row of books he was perusing. But Madam Pince was not going to hear any more of it from him, and she continued to stand there at the end of the bookshelf, staring sternly at Remus from over her wire-frame spectacles. "Young man, I have always admired your enthusiasm for knowledge but if you would _please _allow me to check out the books you are _already _holding-"

"Alright, alright…" the boy groaned, slipping a battered copy of _Fifteenth Century Fiends_ from the shelf before following the irate librarian back over to her desk. She wasted no time scribbling his name and the titles down into the registry before practically pushing him into the hallway ahead of her as she blew out the last few torches. "Really, Remus," she sighed before turning towards her quarters, "I don't think there's ever been another student who has kept me waiting past hours quite as much as you." There was the faintest trace of a smile on her otherwise tight, hawkish face. "Thank you, Madam," he called after the thin woman's disappearing figure, grinning a bit to himself. It had always been a love-hate relationship between them.

Tucking the books under one arm, Remus began to make his way back towards Gryffindor Tower. It was definitely past nine, for all the torches had been dimmed and his footsteps echoed softly down the empty corridors. The only other sound was a faint rattling coming from one of the rooms above, which Remus highly suspected was Peeves engaging in some activity which would surely enrage Filch. For safety's sake, he kept his free hand on his wand as he climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. The last time he'd encountered Peeves unprepared, he'd nearly had a knight's helmet permanently glued to his head.

Wishing he hadn't left the Marauder's Map in the dormitory, Remus crept down the hallway, keeping his back pressed against the cold walls. At each arched doorway he would stop, then quickly poke his head into the room, ready for any surprise attack. Fortunately, it seemed Peeves had decided to take his mischief to some other part of the castle, and when he reached the last empty classroom, he allowed himself to relax. The books he was carrying were beginning to get heavy and he leaned momentarily against a low stone wall to switch hands. From his position, however, he could see out onto the fourth floor balcony and with surprise noticed a figure in dark robes sitting on the railing, looking away into the dark, snowy haze. As he squinted, trying to make out who else was wandering the halls after hours, _A History of Goblin Warfare_ slipped through his arms and smacked against the stone tiles with a loud thud. Remus cursed and hastily bent down to retrieve the fallen book. The figure had leapt up from his perch at the sound, pulling out his wand and spinning around to see who had intruded upon his solitude. "_You!_" he exclaimed with a strangled shout, pointing in Remus' direction.

Straightening back up with book in hand, Remus was surprised and a little bit frightened to see none other than a very hostile looking Severus Snape striding very quickly towards him. He could not quite decide whether it would be better to stand still, or to run. At the very last second, when he realized Severus was not slowing down, his "flee" instinct finally kicked in. But by then it was too late to get away, and Severus had already grasped the front of his robes, pushing him roughly up against a marble pillar.

* * *

"_What did you tell him?"_ Severus' words rose up from his throat in the form of a vicious snarl. The boy before him flinched in fear, but even those wide, bright eyes could not soften his anger. "Who?" whined Remus, twisting his shoulders in a vain effort to put space between them. Severus tightened his grip on the red and black fabric. "Don't play games! Dumbledore, that's who. What. Did. You. Tell. Him?" Severus breathed each word with growing rage.

"I didn't tell him anything!"

"Don't lie," Severus growled, his knuckles growing whiter than usual from how tightly he was clenching Remus' collar.

"I'm not lying! I didn't tell him anything!" Remus shouted, grappling with the long fingers that were so close to his throat.

"_That's not what he told me_." Perhaps it was how dangerously quiet Severus' voice has become, but Remus suddenly ceased all attempts to break free and fell still, his colorful eyes staring into the cold, black ones that were mere inches from his own. "I didn't tell him anything," he repeated meekly for the third time. With his shoulders not longer tense and his hands fallen loosely at his side, Severus thought Remus almost looked pitiful now. But he still refused to loosen his grip.

"Then how does he know…?" he asked slowly, trailing off before completing his question. Remus lowered his eyes. "I only told him about how I left the school… he had me show him the rest. But I didn't tell- "

"He made you _show _him?" Severus couldn't quite comprehend what he was hearing. "What the fuck, Lupin!" The anger that had just begun to ebb away now returned in full. "Don't I get any privacy? Don't I get even an ounce of respect?" His volume was rising, but he couldn't help it.

* * *

"If you would just let me explain," whispered Lupin, instinctively lowering his own voice in an attempt to keep Severus calm. In addition to his fear of Severus' wrath, Remus also had no desire to have Filch find him still in the hallways this late. He was, after all, a Prefect. And then to his horror, he saw a wide grin floating towards the two of them, attached to the nearly solid form of Peeves. Severus noticed the change in Remus' expression and glanced quickly over his shoulder.

"What have we here, hm? Pretty little Prefect Lupin and Sn-Sn-Snivellus Snape?" The poltergeist did a gleeful flip in the air. "Quite a strange couple - not one I would expect to have found…but no matter," he said wickedly. "I'm sure Filch would be more than happy to catch you STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" He screamed the last words as loud as possible, making both boys cringe. They watched as he spiraled away down the corridor, knocking over a row of armor suits before disappearing around a corner. The clatter of more suits crashing to the ground continued, gradually become quieter as Peeves travelled through the school, no doubt searching for Filch. In shock, Severus had released the front of Remus's now severely wrinkled robes and Remus took the opportunity to make a dash for the nearest staircase.

* * *

Severus followed close behind, forgetting for the moment his fury and now much more interested in evading Filch, who could already be heard shouting distantly and was most certainly on his way towards them. He didn't want to let Remus get too far ahead; though he knew the dungeons like the back of his hand, Remus was sure to know the best hiding spots in the upper floors of the castle. And this proved to be a correct assumption – halfway down the fifth floor corridor Remus skidded to a halt, tearing back a tapestry and slipping into a dark gap in the stones behind it. Seconds later, Severus was poking his head around the draped cloth.

"Is there room?" he hissed at the dark shape already occupying the space. Instead of a verbal response, a beechwood wand pointed itself shakily at Severus' face. "Promise not to strangle me?" came Remus's nervous reply at last. Severus could hear Filch's wheezing breath echoing in the stairwell behind him. "Yes, yes," he whispered hastily, and squeezed up against Remus, pulling the tapestry back into place. It was a tight fit; they were both facing each other, with right legs crossed over one another's, shoulders touching, and barely an inch between their faces. "Ouch," muttered the blonde boy, as Severus accidentally stepped on his foot in an attempt to adjust his stance. "Watch your-"

"Shh!" Severus leaned forward and placed his hand roughly over Remus' mouth. "He's right there," he breathed, turning to look at the tiny sliver of floor visible beneath the tapestry. The light of a lantern was growing brighter, and Filch's cautious footsteps were getting louder. They came to a halt just outside of where his prey was hidden, and there was an excruciatingly tense moment of silence. Finally, the lantern light wobbled and Filch continued on slowly down the corridor. Both boys exhaled at the same time, and even in the darkness Severus thought he could see the outline of a grin on Remus' face. Severus tried hard not to smile back, but it was difficult. There was something contagious about his companion's good humor. He looked away, pretending to listen intently to the fading footsteps.

"We should wait 'til he's definitely gone," Remus murmured into his ear. Despite their currently cramped conditions, the warm breath on his neck was not something Severus has expected and he felt a cold prickle run down his spine. "Right," he muttered back, though the chill he'd just experienced was making him feel quite uncomfortable. He couldn't really pinpoint why, but it did. He decided it might be a good idea to put what little extra space there might be between them.

* * *

Remus tried to keep quiet as bony hips bumped and shifted against his own. From the moment Severus has leaned forward to press his hand against his lips, Remus had become acutely aware of the stirring in between his legs. He could not explain it – perhaps it was the adrenaline of escaping Filch, perhaps it was the heat of another's body so close to his, perhaps it was a combination of both. He'd been working hard to suppress the sensation but now that Severus was re-adjusting himself, the friction was too much for him to ignore.

"W-wait," Remus groaned. "What if he can hear you?" Severus paused and turned his head once more to listen. "I can't even hear his footsteps... I don't think we have to worry." A skinny thigh brushed itself up against his and without meaning to, Remus's hands grasped the tantalizing hipbones that were torturing him. Immediately, he felt the Slytherin freeze, and tried his best to play it off like an intentional gesture. "Just, stay still…" he mumbled, pressing Severus gently against the stone and sliding his own body away with as little contact as he possibly could. He prayed that his layers of robes would protect the hardening bulge in his jeans from detection, and anxiously rushed to get his legs free of Severus'. Finally, he managed to untangle their limbs and quickly jumped out from behind the tapestry in such a hurry that he didn't even bother to check for Filch. Severus emerged a moment later, and seemed not to have noticed Remus' real reason for swiftness. He did, however, look very distracted and concerned.

"Look, I'm sorry Dumbledore talked to me before you. I didn't know, if I had –"

Severus waved his hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it."

"Right, well…right," Lupin stuttered, a little taken aback by Severus' change in emotion. "Are you going back to the dungeons, then?" Severus looked over at him, no clear answer written in his face. "I'm only asking," Remus continued, "Because Filch is probably still hunting around and if you didn't want to risk navigating six floors without running into him or Peeves, I could let you stay with me in Gryffindor tower…"

Remus' heart was beating wildly as he spoke, and he practically _knew _his offer would get shot down by the proud Slytherin. But to his surprise, the dark-eyed boy flicked a strand of black hair from his face and then nodded. "I'd prefer that, I think," he said quietly.


	10. Chapter 10

The two boys wasted no time getting to Gryffindor Tower, scurrying quietly up two more flights of stairs and coming to a halt in front of a painting of a large woman, dressed in a pink gown and dozing with her head pressed against the inner edge of the frame. Remus leaned towards her, muttering in a low voice, "Tea cozy."

Nothing. The Fat Lady continued to snore, and he looked back at Severus, an expression of flustered embarrassment on his face. "See, you have to tell her a password," he began to explain, but Severus waved one hand in the air dismissively. "I know," he said. This was not the first time he had been in the Gryffindor wing of the castle. But he wasn't about to explain all that now, as getting inside the dormitory was a more pressing matter. "Honestly, you're going to have to speak louder than that if you want her to let you in." Remus nodded, and turning back to the portrait, cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. "Tea cozy," he declared again, in a slightly more impressive tone. Severus thought he still could have done better, but it was enough to rouse the woman from her sleep, and she looked blearily at the two of them. "Waking me up at this hour - the nerve," she said crossly as she swung forward on her hinges. "Oh, fine, don't thank me," she exclaimed as they stepped through the doorway, and slammed shut behind them.

Remus rolled his eyes at Severus. "She's always been a little temperamental," he said. Severus nodded, only half-listening as he looked around the common room. Flames curled in the fireplace and the faint smell of cinnamon hung in the air. Scarlet banners decorated with lions hung on the walls, and dark green wreaths garnished the stairwells to the boys' and girls' dormitories. Severus suddenly pictured the wreath swinging on the front door of his home back in Spinner's End. He shivered, despite the pleasantly warm temperature of the room, and noticed with a start that Remus was no longer by his side. His alarm was short lived, however, because a second later he spotted Remus standing on the back of an armchair, pulling a checkered board from the top shelf of a bookcase. He grinned down at his company. "Care to play a game of chess?"

* * *

"Check."

Severus let out a groan, and Remus could not contain a small smile of pride at the thought of winning a game of logic against the Slytherin. They were sitting near the fireplace, Severus on the couch and Remus on the floor, with his back to the flames. He watched his opponent move his last piece to the only place it could go, and relished the opportunity to tell his rook, "You know what to do." His piece saluted him stiffly and slid forward three squares, wrestling the black knight from his horse.

"Checkmate," Remus declared triumphantly. Severus was still staring at the board in disbelief. "That's for all the times you've outshined me in Potions, mate," Remus jested cheerfully, and dark eyes looked up to meet his. "I let you win," the black-haired boy replied sullenly. An even wider grin was the only response that statement incited. "How about a rematch, then? Or would you be too afraid to get beaten by a Gryffindor twice in a row?"

Severus was about to make a snide comment but the sound of footsteps made them both look away towards the stairs. A block of ice sunk to the bottom of Severus' stomach; he recognized Lily Evans even before she had fully emerged from the shadowy stairwell. She was wearing a long, blue nightgown and had a hand woven shawl wrapped around her shoulders. Perched upon the lightly freckled bridge of her nose was a delicate-looking pair of glasses, which Severus knew she only wore for when she was reading. A fleeting expression of surprise crossed her face as she registered who the two occupants of the common room were, and Severus looked awkwardly away, pretending not to notice as she approached them.

"Remus!" she chirped. "I _knew_ I heard your voice." And then, much more curtly, "Hello, Severus." Severus nodded in acknowledgment of her presence, still staring firmly at one of the scarlet banners on the wall, where a lion was yawning and stretching its front paws. She turned back to Remus. "Don't worry, I won't interrupt your game…I'm just getting something," she leaned across the table to grab a book that had been sitting by Severus' left arm. He read the title as it passed beneath his nose; "_Mudblood: One Wizard's Struggle Against Prejudice_." The block of ice in his gut grew even heavier. "Goodnight, Remus," she called over her shoulder as she trotted back up the staircase.

Scowling and red-faced, Severus looked up to see Remus peering at him curiously. "What-" the boy began, but Severus interrupted the question. "Fuck off," he cut in sharply, regretting his words even as they crossed his lips. Wide eyes gazed back at him, expressing the slightest trace of hurt. "I'm sorry," Severus muttered, picking up a pawn and rolling it between his fingers. "It's just…it's a long story. About Lily, I mean." He tried to force a tired smile, and glanced at Remus, who nodded with compassionate understanding. And suddenly, without any warning at all, a choked sob burst forth from deep inside his chest and Severus felt himself seized by a tightening wave of sadness which he could not hold back. He buried his face in his hands, trying to hide the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. He wasn't crying for Lily, or anything else in particular, for that matter. It was just that she had reminded him of the reasons their friendship had ended in the first place – his association with the Death Eaters, his so called "friends" – and he thought of Remus' kindness towards him and knew it could not last, it couldn't possibly, not if even sweet Lily had been driven away. And he thought of how he wished he could tell them that he hated the same things they did. If only they knew. If only he could get away. After all that had been done… the previous night flashed before his eyes once again – he felt as if would never stop reliving the torment, the utter humiliation and the terror felt as real as ever. Between heaving breaths, he tried to explain this to Remus, but it all came out as a jumbled, incomprehensible mess of half-completed ideas, and he shook his head, commencing once again to trying to stem the tears that continued to fall.

* * *

Remus had not been expecting such a sudden rush of emotion and for a moment he froze, not quite sure what to do as he watched Severus press his contorting face into his hands. He looked around nervously, double checking to make sure no one else was witnessing a scene of such fragile nature. He scooted himself around the coffee table, still on his knees, and took Severus' thin wrists in his hands, tugging them down gently. Severus looked away to the side, his jaw clenched tightly. Stifled sobs shook the boy's shoulders as he tried to suppress them. "C'mon," Remus murmured, standing up and leading the Slytherin towards the staircase. He knew Severus would not want to be found in such a vulnerable state, and didn't want to risk someone else coming down for something.

Severus had managed to calm himself considerably by the time they got to the Marauders' room. Remus checked the hallway for any snooping eyes, and then closed the door behind them. Severus was seated on the edge of Remus' mattress, and Remus wondered how he'd known it was his. Unlike Slytherin's design, the bed frames in Gryffindor did not have personalized plaques on the headboard. But even while recovering from his emotional outburst, Severus seemed attentive enough to notice and accurately analyze Remus' curiosity. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and nodded towards a pair of brown boots that were poking out from under the bed. "I've noticed you wear those in Herbology sometimes. They're made of Bicorn hide, you can tell by the grooved pattern where it hasn't been worn down…"

Remus couldn't resist a faint smile. "You're too smart, Severus. You've got an answer for practically everything." And, to his relief, Severus smiled back. It was small, but it was there. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, wiping his eyes again and trying to straighten his hair. "Not only am I a blubbering idiot, but I'm a nerd, too." Remus pointed at the stack of books, which he had not forgotten to bring up with him, now sitting upon his dresser. "It's okay, we can be bookworms together. And you're not an idiot," he added for good measure.

They made eye contact, though perhaps it lasted a moment too long because at almost the same time, both of them looked away and an awkward silence ensued. Severus plucked at a loose thread in the comforter he was sitting on, and Remus looked around as if something exciting might happen in some corner of the room. Finally, Severus spoke. "I can sleep on the floor, if you would prefer."

Remus let out a sigh of relief. He had been trying to think of a way to bring up the sleeping situation. He chuckled, however, at Severus' presumption. "You don't have to sleep on the floor. I was just going to say, if you want the bed to yourself I can sleep on someone else's bed, since they aren't here…" Remus expected Severus to agree, but the other boy only shrugged indifferently. "It doesn't matter," he said. "Alright," he said slowly, trying not to sound as hesitant as he felt about sharing the bed with Severus. He was afraid of making his company uncomfortable, but if Severus said it was okay…

"I'll sleep on top of the covers, then," he proposed. Again, Severus shrugged. "I think, actually, I'll be sleeping on top of the blankets, since I don't have a change of clothes. If you don't mind, that is." Remus laughed nervously. "Right, well, yes…that's fine. I'm just going to change and brush my teeth, then." He turned away and, looking once over his shoulder to make sure Severus wasn't watching, hastily stripped down to his boxers before slipping into the bathroom. When he came back into the room, he saw Severus already laying on his side, precariously close to the edge of the mattress. Remus hoped sincerely that he wasn't someone who moved around too much in his sleep. He crawled gingerly beneath the top blanket, leaving half of his chest exposed in an effort to stay cooler. Usually, he slept without any clothes on, but he wasn't about to do that with Severus laying right next to him. He snapped his fingers and the lamp on the bedside table snapped off.

* * *

Severus lay very still on his side, staring at the scarlet curtain that was hanging half-open by his face. He did not move at all for several minutes, listening to Remus occasionally fidget and knowing by the rhythm of his breath that he was not yet asleep. Eventually, Severus rolled over onto his back, staring up at the bed's canopy ceiling. Remus had decorated it with stars that sparkled merrily, and Severus noted with some amusement that they were, in fact, arranged to accurately represent the winter constellations.

"Remus?" He said tentatively.

The boy beside him drew in a short breath. "Yeah?"

"When you said Dumbledore made you _show_ him…did you mean the Penseive?"

There was a brief silence. Then, "Yeah."

Severus watched the constellations glitter above him, his chest still feeling tight. Neither of them spoke for a minute or two. Finally, Severus brought himself to ask the question that was itching to get free. "What exactly did you see?"

The silence was much longer this time. Severus felt Remus shift, and knew he had turned his head to look at him. He continued to stare up at the stars. "I didn't see them – the men. I heard them, but they were gone by the time I got through the window. I saw you on the floor and that was it. I didn't see what they were doing to you. But I know…" his voice trailed off. Severus turned his head and they stared at each other through the darkness, their faces only inches apart. One last tear managed to break loose and drop down onto the pillowcase below, leaving a single dark spot on the red fabric. Severus clenched his jaw again. Remus rolled over and propped himself up on one elbow. "I wish I could have gotten there sooner," he mumbled. "I shouldn't have gone on my own – it would have been faster if I'd-"

Severus shook his head. "It doesn't matter," he said. He didn't want to think about what _could _have happened. He didn't want any reasons to resent or blame Remus for what he had endured. Remus' eyes seemed to bore straight into his own. "Severus," he said, his voice shaking. "They _raped_ you. I think you would feel better if you talked-" But Severus did not want to have this conversation. He sat up and twisted around, grabbing Remus' bare shoulders roughly. "I know what they did, okay? I know! But I'm not a baby. I'm not made of glass. I'm not stupid. I know why they did it. I don't want to talk about it. I know what they did." He was beyond crying now. He refused to feel sorry for himself – he would not let his guard down anymore. He couldn't stand the thought of looking weak.

Remus held still, and Severus gazed down at his exposed torso. It was covered with long scars, as if massive claws had raked through his skin from his shoulders to his waist. Severus let go, staring back up at the fair-haired boy. "What happened?" He asked. Remus shook his head. "It's not something I want to talk about." His eyes seemed to bore holes in Severus'. He nodded. "Okay." Still, his gaze lingered on the marks, and on the body they decorated. Remus was well-built, and his chest was lightly covered with blonde hairs that looked as if they'd be soft to the touch. His shoulders sloped gently, and his neck…

Severus realized only too late that he was basically checking Remus out. Embarrassed and once again feeling a strange chill of pleasure crawling up his spine, he turned away and lay back down on the very edge of the mattress. "I'm tired," he mumbled, and forced himself to close his eyes. Remus flopped back down beside him. "Me too," he replied. But neither of them fell asleep for quite some time.


	11. Chapter 11

Remus had hardly fallen asleep when he was woken by movement coming from the other side of the bed. He felt Severus sitting up, and, risking a careful turn of his head, peeked through one half-open eye to see what was going on. Luckily, Severus was facing away from Remus and, in the act of standing up, did not hear the bed's other occupant shift against the pillow. Encouraged by the promise of being undetected, Remus ventured to open both eyes and observe, with a jolt, Severus removing his shirt. He felt a familiar stir between his legs and cursed the moon for being so bright, for highlighting the elegant angles of the Slytherin's pale, narrow back, and making him look so goddamn beautiful. Remus delighted in tracing each bone with his eyes, and wished he could count each vertebrae running up that spine.

Unfortunately, Severus must have felt himself being watched and turned around too quickly for Remus to feign sleep. He jumped a bit, surprised by the open eyes that met his. "I – I'm a bit cold," he stammered, and even in the dark Remus could see a faint color rising in the boy's cheeks. "I thought I might, if you didn't mind sharing, I might…" he gestured hopelessly towards the bed. Remus understood. "Sure," he laughed, propping himself up to lift the comforter, patting the spot beside him. Severus climbed tentatively beneath the blanket, which was warm from where he had been laying on top of it. And then, because Remus had turned sideways to lift the covers, and because Severus had not yet readjusted to the far edge of the mattress, the unspeakable happened: Severus' leg bumped up against the stiff bulge growing in Remus' boxers.

Remus' eyes widened and he froze, sure that Severus must have noticed. But though the boy did seem to look up quickly through his loose, black hair at Remus, the glance lasted only a fraction of a second, and then Severus was once again as close to falling off the mattress as he could be without actually doing so. Remus let out a small sigh of relief as he let himself fall back against the pillow. Maybe Severus hadn't noticed after all.

* * *

Severus, of course, _had _noticed. But he was determined not to make that known, if he could help it. He lay there, staring once again at the red curtain hanging in front of his face. "It's natural, it happens to every guy when they sleep," he thought in an attempt to reassure himself. But…Reassure? From what? He wasn't quite sure, actually. From the idea of turning Remus on, he supposed. But why? Where was the harm? The more he thought about it, the more he felt almost flattered. And then he frowned. He was getting carried away. He wasn't attractive. Even if Remus did lean "that way", it's not like he would be interested in someone like Severus Snape. No, he was too thin, too pasty, too sullen, too quiet. He closed his eyes, willing his mind to be blank.

It was something he'd always been able to do, and it had come in handy more than once when dealing with his family. But only in the past day had he realized that it was more than just a meditative effort – for if even Dumbledore could not penetrate his mind when he was focused on the empty spaces, then it must be a powerful gift. This night, however, it served a more therapeutic purpose, and Severus slept without fear of dreams that could force him to relive what had happened twenty-four hours before.

* * *

Remus, on the other hand, did not sleep peacefully at all. It must have been all the talk of Fenrir Greyback, or the added heat of another body in his bed, or the stress of building a friendship with someone as unlikely as Severus Snape. He was certainly tired enough, but nightmarish images haunted him throughout the night. He twitched and growled at the memories of that attack, so many years ago. Nearly a decade had passed and yet he still could remember the searing pain of teeth and claws tearing into his flesh, and the hoarse laughter, and his parents' cries, and that first terrible transformation…

"Pettigrew!"

Remus jerked awake at Severus' outburst, and for a very brief moment had the absurd notion that Severus was calling out Peter's name in his sleep. But as he squinted against the bright sunlight that was just coming in through the windows, he saw that someone else was indeed in the room with them. Severus was already scrambling out from beneath the blanket, grabbing his shirt from the bedside table and pulling it over his head with haste. "Peter," Remus exclaimed breathily. "You – what are you, I didn't think you, what…" he glanced at the clock by his bed. 7:12 AM. "It's so early," he finally blurted out.

"It _is_ my room, too, Remus," the mousy boy said with a strange smile on his face as he looked from his friend to the Slytherin who was already finishing lacing up his shoes. "Of course, I might have stayed in the hospital wing if you'd told me who you were going to be sharing a bed with last night…"

"It's not like you think," Remus began, pushing himself up further and looking at Severus for some kind of affirmation. But Severus had already grabbed his wand from the table, and was halfway to the door. He turned around only to say, "Thanks for housing me," before leaving, and once more, Remus found his expression unreadable. When the dormitory door had closed, Remus looked back at Peter. "Really," he said. "It was nothing. Filch was patrolling the halls and I didn't want to risk him getting caught so I let him stay here for the night…you believe me, right?"

"Sure," said Peter, the weird smile still on his lips. "But why was Snape wandering the upper floors in the first place?"

"I don't really know," shrugged Remus, and this was true. He didn't know why Severus had been sitting alone on the fourth floor balcony. Nor had he thought to ask. "Look, I was just being nice… Filch has been vicious lately, especially towards the Slytherins." Peter shrugged back. "Whatever," he said. "But I don't know why you care what happens to a greaseball like Snape. I don't know what happened between you two the other night, either. But I don't care," he added quickly, when Remus opened his mouth to protest divulging any information. "I don't care what happened, or your motives. It doesn't affect _me_. I just hate to think how Potter and Black are going to take this whole ordeal."

Remus frowned. "They don't have to know," he said, regretting the pleading tone in his voice. He looked inquiringly at Peter, who was sitting on the chest at the foot of Sirius' bed. "You don't have to tell them. It's only going to get Sirius all worked up into a frenzy, and James will get ticked off at not just me but _everybody _– you know how they are. Look, I'm sure things are going to go back to the way they are once classes start back up in a couple days… there's no point in saying anything at all. Okay?" He had no intention of fulfilling such a notion, but the only way Peter would be able to keep his mouth shut was if he trusted there would be no potential for future conflict. Remus did his best impression of Sirius' puppy eyes, which had always seemed to work. Peter inspected him sternly for a moment, the unnerving smile no longer on his face. "Sure," he finally said, unfolding his arms. Remus relaxed a little, only hoping that Peter could keep his word.

* * *

The only people in the Great Hall so early in the morning were two Ravenclaw prefects and Professor McGonagall, up at the teachers' table. As usual, she was reading her subscription of the Daily Prophet, and glanced up only very briefly before returning her attention to the newspaper as Severus entered the large room. Other than the few bites of vegetables he had consumed last night, Severus had not eaten anything since breakfast the day before, and he hadn't really even kept that down for very long. So needless to say, he was feeling quite hungry and decided it would be best to finally sit down for a meal.

Yet he felt strangely apathetic to the food presented in front of him. Sizzling mushroom stuffed omelets, huge bowls filled to the brims with whole oranges and apples, even larger bowls of diced and sugared pears, woven baskets filled with warm croissants and other assorted pastries… it all smelled and looked delicious. But he found himself lacking the desire to eat any of it. Finally, knowing he had to eat _something_, Severus stacked a couple pieces of lightly buttered toast onto his plate, and grabbed a pitcher of orange juice to fill his goblet.

As he was finishing up with his toast, a movement in the corner of his vision caught his attention. A familiar black owl was soaring gracefully towards his seat at the table and he reached up with impeccably fast reflexes to grab the newspaper as it dropped from Cinnabar's talons. She fluttered down to perch beside him on the bench, peering at him expectantly with large yellow eyes. He smiled and tore off the end of a piece of bacon, and she gobbled it down enthusiastically, hooting appreciatively before flying away. Severus tossed the remainder of the bacon back onto the platter… it held no appeal for him at the moment.

He stared down at the front page of the Prophet. "Attacks Continue As Death Eater Numbers Grow," it declared in bold letters. The picture was of none other than Tom Riddle himself, shaking hands with the Minister of Magic and then ushering him into a small office, the door closing behind them. The caption below read, "Riddle continues to deny any involvement in the violent acts of his followers." He chewed slowly on a slice of candied pear as he scanned the article. It was all the same news they'd been publishing for months now, but now he was searching for names. And there, halfway down the page! He saw exactly who he was looking for and leaned towards the text in anticipation. "Fenrir Greyback has been reported as a main culprit in these attacks, or "recruitments," as they are referred to by many Death Eaters. Being a werewolf, Greyback has proven to be a far more dangerous weapon for "Voldemort's" intimidation purposes, though Riddle claims to condemn any non-peaceful demonstrations-"

A hand clapped down on Severus' shoulder so suddenly he nearly leapt from the bench. "Whoa!" laughed Avery from behind, releasing his grip and stepping back with an expression of mock-fear on his face. "Just me, Severus… take it easy." He looked at the large clock above where McGonagall was still seated. "Jeez, you're up early, aren't you?"

"Well then, so are you," Severus replied coolly, trying to re-locate the spot where he had been cut off. But Avery pulled the paper away from him, tossing it down the bench so that it was out of reach. Severus leaned over to retrieve it, and was irritated to feel Avery restraining his shoulder once more. "What do you-" he growled, shooting his roommate a severe look. "You can read the news later," Avery grinned back, grabbing a cream cheese filled doughnut from one of the baskets next to him. "Mm goon tuh Hugsm'd," he said through a mouthful of pastry. Severus scowled. "Pardon?" Avery grabbed Severus' goblet and took a swig. "I'm going to Hogsmeade," he repeated, much more clearly this time. "Rosier is coming back today, an' I thought us two could go meet him there."

"Right this instant?" Severus asked, still eyeing the newspaper wistfully. "No, but soon," replied Avery. "I need to eat and shower…" he suddenly inspected Severus' appearance with much more attention. "Hey, where did you get off to last night, anyway? Are those the same clothes you were wearing at dinner?" Severus had always been pretty good at lying on the spot, though he preferred not to get too tangled up in explaining details. "I was trying to stay out of Filch's way," he began truthfully, standing up and ignoring the bread crust and remaining pieces of fruit on his plate. "I ended up hiding in one of the trophy rooms for so long I fell asleep." He winced as he stepped away from the bench. "My neck is killing me." Avery looked at him with disapproval. "_Hiding_ from Filch all night? You don't take enough risks, Severus."

"Right," the black-haired Slytherin agreed, in order to speed up his escape. "Well, anyway, I'm going to shower while you eat, alright? Just meet me in the room when you want to head out." He reached for the paper, but Avery was too fast and snatched it away, setting it down on the table in front of him. "Don't worry, I'll hang onto this for you. I need some reading material if I'm going to have breakfast all by my lonesome. There's a good sport," he said snidely as Severus gave up and headed towards the dungeons.


	12. Chapter 12

"So... why didn't you just give the note to Dumbledore or one of the professors?"

Remus closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He and Peter had been camped out in the common room for several hours now to work on their Care of Magical Creatures essays, and after persistently questioning Remus on "just the basic details" of what had happened the other night, Peter had finally managed to extract some information. Of course, it was truly the _most _basic details that Remus was willing to divulge upon; primarily, how he received the note and his method of getting to Spinner's End. There was no way he was going to talk about Severus' personal circumstances to anyone. But after nearly a dozen questions similar to the one that had just been asked, Remus was beginning to regret even telling Peter what he had, because it obviously had not satisfied the boy's curiosity.

"I don't know," he sighed wearily. "I'm not really interested in psychoanalyzing myself right now." He opened one eye and watched his nosy friend fold the corner of a page in the textbook that was on his lap. "I'm only asking," continued Peter, "because it just doesn't seem very logical of you." He looked up, his watery grey eyes meeting Remus' sharp blue ones. "If you'd told a professor, they could have apparated or used the Floo network. Thestrals are fast, but it still must have taken at least an hour to get there..."

"Yeah, roughly that," Remus agreed through clenched teeth as he searched the index of his book for "Grindylow". His hands were beginning to sweat and he was having difficulty separating the pages.

"Right. So wouldn't it have been more productive-"

"Wouldn't it be more productive to work on your damn essay instead of asking a million questions, Peter?" Remus slammed his book shut angrily, startling a couple first years who were playing Exploding Snap at a table nearby. Peter fell silent, dropping his gaze and busying himself with reading over his notes. Remus scowled, but it was more in anger with himself for his lack of control. He ran his fingers through his hair, opening his book back up and trying to find where he had been turned to. When he found the page, he mimicked Peter and dog-eared it, then looked across the table timidly at his friend. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "This paper is just really stressing me out. I should have started on it sooner... now it's due in two days and I've only got a paragraph written so far."

"It's fine," Peter shrugged back, accepting Remus' excuse. "But at least Kettleburn assigned you an easy creature. I can't find _anything _about Diricawls in these books!" He frowned, propping one arm up on the table and resting his round face in his palm, looking at Remus pitifully. "Hold on," Remus quickly flipped back to the index, searched around for a moment, then pointed. "Here...there's a whole section on them, in the 'Muggle Records' chapter. You can take it," he offered, sliding the heavy book across the table. "I'll just work from my notes for a while."

* * *

Three days of near-fasting had already begun to do a number on Severus' physical appearance. He'd always had a rather petite frame, but now as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, it was clear that he had still lost quite some weight. His black hair, still wet from the shower, fell down around his narrow face and the ends stuck to his bony shoulders. Pulling it back so he could get a better view, Severus eyed his own reflection. He was glad to see that all the bruises had vanished, and that other than a few quickly fading scars, there were no longer any signs of having been assaulted. Of course, he knew that he should be repulsed by how thin he was becoming. But as he gazed at himself, he could not help but feel a strange sense of empowerment, though he couldn't truly say why. He ran his hands gently over his protruding ribs, then reached up touched his cheeks lightly. He could _feel _the bones beneath the taut skin, and something about knowing he could endure hunger made him feel strong.

The sound of Avery entering the dormitory came faintly through the bathroom door. Severus snatched up his towel hastily and wrapped it around his waist before exiting. "It's all yours," he said, walking over to his dresser as the other boy closed the door behind him. Severus shivered as he stood there, trying to decide what clothes to wear. He was feeling exceptionally chilly this morning, so he grabbed a navy blue, long-sleeved thermal shirt to wear along with his favorite pair of cargo jeans. He dressed quickly, hungry for more warmth than his towel was providing.

Feeling slightly more comfortable now, Severus sat on the edge of his bed. Avery already had the water running, and he could hear the echoes of humming bouncing against the tiled walls within. He shook his head. Avery's shower-time singing was something he'd become quite accustomed to over the years, but that didn't mean he'd learned to enjoy it. Severus gazed around the room, looking for something to distract him while he waited for Avery to be ready to go. Noticing his copy of the Daily Prophet poking out from his roommate's bag, he snatched up the paper and finished the article he'd been reading earlier. Unfortunately, it had little more to add about Fenrir Greyback, and nothing mentioned was any new information to Severus. "Blue eyes, grey hair, known werewolf, extremely dangerous, see back page…" Without thinking, Severus turned the paper over. The entire back page was covered with pictures of wizards who were known or believed to be in cooperation with the Death Eaters. His gaze immediately fell upon Greyback, however, and he felt a lurch in his stomach as he watched the unshaven criminal grin a toothy smile back up at him. Severus could not rip his eyes away from the photo, and he felt the memories coming back once again, though he tried his best to block them out.

Luckily, Severus heard the shower cut off and he was able to drag himself back to the surface. Hastily cramming the paper back into Avery's bag, he walked over to where his boots were sitting by the foot of his own bed. Avery opened the bathroom door a few seconds later, naked and dripping water onto the floor. He had never been quite as modest as Severus would consider himself to be. He strutted across the room to where he already had a pair of crisp black pants and a grey sweater laid out, and took his time getting dressed. Severus glanced up idly, as used to seeing his roommate in the nude as he was to hearing him sing in the shower. Avery was not, by any means, an unattractive individual. He had broad shoulders, a sturdy build, and he was taller than Severus by at least three or four inches. He was the typical "bad guy" that so many girls seemed to love – he was often an asshole to the people around him, but somehow he managed to play it off as "charming." It also helped, Severus speculated, that Avery was "well endowed." The girls he had been with never seemed to complain about the sex, though they might sometimes have griped about the way he treated them _outside_ of the bedroom.

Severus tried to imagine how Remus would look naked, compared to Avery. Wait…_what? _Severus froze in the act of lacing up his boots. Where on earth had _that _come from? He couldn't believe such an absurd thought had just crossed his mind. Dear _God_. He finished knotting his laces and stood up, glad to see that Avery had now covered himself and was pulling on his winter robes. "Ready?" Severus nodded, pushing the thought of a naked Remus Lupin into a dark corner of his mind, hoping it would not resurface.

As they travelled down the snow packed road to Hogsmeade, Avery pulled the newspaper from his bag. "Here ya go," he said, handing it over.

"Oh, right…thanks," Severus feigned gratitude, and gazed down at the article he had already read. He moved his eyes over the page, pretending to read for about a minute before folding it up and slipping it into the pocket of his coat. Avery watched him in surprise. "Geez, after all that fuss you made earlier…"

"Right, well, it's all the same news," Severus shrugged off. Avery grunted in agreement.

They walked in silence for a while, and Severus admired the scenery around him. Over the night, a couple inches of snow had fallen and coated the entire landscape with a fresh, white blanket. The branches of the cedars that lined the road were dusted with a fine powder, and the cold air was crisp and clean, smelling faintly of chimney smoke from the village that lay about half a mile ahead. As they reached the top of a hill, where the road began to curve slightly, the rooftops of the shops and houses rose up from the surrounding trees. The two boys began their descent down the sloped path.

"So what really happened the other night?" Severus, who had been watching the ground carefully, nearly slipped on a patched of ice as he looked up sharply at his companion. "What do you mean?" His pulse began to quicken as he tried to read the curious glint in Avery's eyes. _How could Avery know?_

"Just some things I've been hearing," came the slow reply. "My father, you know, he's a Death Eater - so he knows what's going on. Like meeting locations, raids…and who they're planning to recruit next…"

"Nothing happened the other night," Severus cut in sharply, trying to mask the quaver of fear in his voice. "It was a strictly personal matter of convenience between me and my parents. I don't want to talk about it anymore, alright?"

Avery raised his eyebrows and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sure man, whatever!" They had reached the outskirts of Hogsmeade at this point and were now heading down High Street. For a Saturday, the town was pretty empty, though that was to be expected, since most students hadn't come back from break yet. Severus gazed in through the windows of The Three Broomsticks as they passed by, catching a glimpse of Madame Rosmerta cleaning glasses behind the bar. At the next intersection, Avery took a left down one of the side streets and Severus followed, though he wondered why they weren't taking the direct route to the station. The further they travelled down the narrow road, the less comfortable he was beginning to feel. Finally, he spoke up. "This isn't the right way," he stated plainly, slowing down so that Avery had to turn around to look at him. "I know," said his companion just as surely. "But I need to stop at the apothecary first. Don't worry," he added, seemingly sensing Severus' hesitation. "There's plenty of time."

Severus could see Bobbin's Brewery up ahead, so he grudgingly followed. But as they neared the building, a feeling of unease began to jerk at the nerves of Severus' stomach. The window shutters were pulled closed, and no light came through the little window in the door. "I don't think it's open," he said, once again falling back. But this time Avery grabbed his arm and pulled him up the steps. "It's not," he hissed, "but that's why we're here." Alarmed, Severus tried to pull away, but Avery was stronger and easily restrained him. "Look, I'm on orders. The Dark Lord sent the owner 'away' for a little while, and he's waiting in there for you. I don't know exactly what he wants, but my suggestion is that you _comply_, Severus." Not waiting to hear Severus' panicked retort, Avery yanked open the door and shoved the smaller boy through.

The door slammed closed behind Severus and in vain he twisted around to grasp the handle, trying to yank it back open. But a spell was obviously in place to keep it locked. With a racing heart, Severus' fingers scrambled for his wand, counter-charms running through his head. Before he could even raise it to the handle, however, a man's high-pitched voice cried out from the depths of the shop. "Expelliarmus!"

The wand flew from Severus' fingers and he spun around in sheer terror, knowing too well who he was about to face. And there, leaning against a rack of bottled potion ingredients, was Tom Riddle, known by most these days as 'Lord Voldemort'. He was an undeniably handsome man; the details of his face were sharp and chiselled as if his features were sculpted in marble instead of flesh, his sleek black hair was neatly trimmed and combed to perfection, and the elegant forest green robes clinging to his shoulders stood out in sharp contrast to the grey, shadowy atmosphere of the room in which they stood. His thin lips twisted into a malicious smile as he looked upon his trembling company. "Ah, young Master Snape… we finally meet." He stepped forward, extending his hand in greeting. Severus did not return the gesture. "Get away from me," he half-growled, half-pleaded. His legs shuddered violently as the pale man approached him and manually grabbed his hand, shaking it firmly. Even in the current situation, Severus could not help but notice that Voldemort's eyes were the same dark color as his own. He stared into them as long as he could, but finally he blinked and averted his gaze. Voldemort laughed.

"Get away? I thought only Gryffindors could be so foolishly brave," he leered, squeezing Severus' fingers forcefully before releasing his grip, causing the boy the flinch in pain. "You should use some manners when dealing with the Dark Lord."

"Manners!" Severus was unable to hide the resentment in his voice as he watched Voldemort saunter over to a display of magnifying instruments, where he paused to examine a small, multi-colored lens. "Yes, manners," he drawled, squinting through the piece of glass at the defiant-yet-frightened teenager. "I believe politeness and civility are two very important skills to possess. Without charisma and good etiquette, even the most talented wizard would be reduced to nothing more than a brute."

"That's funny," scoffed Severus. "Considering the company you keep."

"Ahh," Voldemort hummed in the same leisurely tone, though a slight change in the pitch of his voice suggested that his interest had been roused by Severus' remark. "And what would you know about the company I keep? Who are you referring to?"

Severus said nothing, and he stared at the far wall with stony eyes. He could not bring himself to say the name. He wished he'd been able to keep his mouth shut in the first place. But Voldemort would not stand for silence. "That's the second strike," he said sternly, slipping the glass instrument into the pocket of his robes. "Don't make me give you a lesson on manners, boy. You're supposed to _answer_ when someone asks a question… but let's try again. Who are you referring to?" Not wanting to find out what would happen on the third strike, Severus shuddered and closed his eyes tightly for a second. "Fenrir Greyback," he managed to croak.

A somber expression quickly smothered the eerie flash of delight that had momentarily crossed Voldemort's face. "Werewolves," he sighed, clasping his hands together solemnly as he began to wander back towards where Severus was still pressing himself against the wall. "So hard to keep in check. So unpredictable. So…_violent_. I was certainly sorry to hear about your unfortunate encounter Thursday night."

"You're lying. You sent him after me." Severus quivered at his own boldness, but he could not surrender the little pride he had left to such slander.

"You accuse me of lies? My dear boy," Voldemort cooed, stepping closer and stroking the back of his fingers against Severus' prominent cheekbone. "I never denied I sent Fenrir on a game of fetch. But I would have sent someone else had I known he would treat you so... cruelly." Severus stood still as the spidery white fingers played with an unruly lock of black hair before retreating. "Rest assured, the beasts were punished for their misdeeds. Though I thought it would only be fair to save some of that pleasure for you as well." Severus didn't know what exactly that was supposed to mean, nor did he much want to. "I think we have different ideas of what pleasure is," he muttered.

"Oh? I'm not so sure you'll want to deny _this _treat, my boy. Surely you want to see that your tormentor gets his just deserves." Crossing the room, Voldemort opened the cellar door and motioned for Severus to follow him. With little choice in the matter, he obeyed reluctantly and allowed himself to be led down the rickety steps.

The view he was met with made him gasp aloud in a mix of fear, shock, and disgust. Fenrir Greyback was lying there before him on the cellar floor, stripped down to nothing, his feet and hands bound together. He looked up at them with pure hatred, and spit in their direction as they neared the bottom of the stairs. "I didn't sign up for this, my _lord_," he growled. "You are such a lowly creature," mused Voldemort softly, though it was clear that his minion's harsh countenance displeased him. He turned to Severus and handed the wand back over to the dumbfounded Slytherin. "You see, they truly are beasts, through and through. I should love to teach him a lesson for his insolence, but since you are here, I'll gladly step aside and let you take the reins." Severus could barely tear his eyes from the hulking, naked man who lay so vulnerable below him. He could still feel those dirty whiskers against his face, and those claw-like nails raking his exposed skin, and those hips bruising his thighs…

"Yes," hissed Voldemort, close to his ear. "I can sense your hatred - now use it, my boy, use it!" Severus hesitated, knowing that he should resist. And yet, it would feel so satisfying to see the werewolf writhe under his wand, at his command…

"_Make him squirm_." Severus could not take any more. "Crucio!" he screamed, pointing his wand at Fenrir's form. The man howled out in pain, arching his back and jerking violently across the gritty stone floor. The ornately carved hilt of his wand had begun to heat up as soon as the curse had left his lips, but Severus gripped it even tighter, horrified and yet enthralled by the helpless suffering of his former attacker. Voldemort, too, was enthralled by the spectacle, though his attention was focused more on the black-haired boy at his side than the whimpering half-breed in the center of the room. But after a few more seconds had passed, Voldemort stepped in to regain control over the situation.

"Enough," he muttered, waving his own wand to produce a shimmering barrier between Severus and Fenrir. With the connection broken, Severus staggered back weakly against the wooden railing of the steps. "He's vile, but he is still a useful tool. I wouldn't want you to debilitate him completely. Not now, at least," Voldemort added, grinning down at the young Slytherin who was trying hard to steady his breath and refocus his eyes. He settled one hand authoritatively on Severus' left shoulder, his thumb caressing the concave region below the collarbone. "I can see you enjoyed that taste of power – don't bother denying it. With me, Severus, you will always have control over your foes. You will never have to fear for yourself. I can offer protection."

Severus tried to jerk himself free not only from the man's heavy touch, but also from the lingering sense of pleasure his treatment of Greyback had given him. Voldemort tisked disappointedly at the motion. "I see you are not enthusiastic about the idea of joining our ranks. But how would you like it if I were to free him from those bonds…" he suggested slyly, raising his wand in Fenrir's direction. A surge of fear flooded Severus' chest, and he could not prevent himself from shouting, "No, please don't!"

The pale man grinned wickedly. "Ah-ha…so you do understand." He lowered his wand, and Fenrir thrashed angrily on the floor, muttering obscenities. Severus looked over nervously but Voldemort paid the werewolf no heed, and gently cupped the boy's angular jaw with one hand, forcing him to look back into his narrow eyes. "I wouldn't really," he said in what he might have considered a reassuring tone. "I might, if you were not such a remarkably valuable wizard. My dear boy, you are exquisite, both in the skills you possess and in the simple nature of your being. I could never stand to see you suffer more than you already have." He slid past Severus gently and made his way across the cellar floor, maintaining eye contact even as he approached Fenrir. "I don't expect you to make a decision at this very moment…by all means, take your time. Consider this, however; you may be well guarded under Dumbledore's watch, but when you are not safe and cozy in the halls of Hogwarts, who will protect you? I can give you power, but I can also destroy you. Do you want to live your life in constant fear?" He grabbed Fenrir's arm roughly, and with a loud pop both men disappeared.


	13. Chapter 13

After spending quite some time slumped against a barrel of sun-dried slugs, Severus finally worked up the motivation needed to climb slowly back up the basement steps. Dragging his hand along the dusty railing, he thought about the act he had just committed. One of the Unforgivable Curses, from his own wand? The whole event seemed incredibly surreal. He knew he should feel more disgusted with himself, but instead there was only the overwhelming numbness of shock. Well, not _only _shock. He also could not help but notice that his tension and anxiety had lessened considerably, as if there was some therapeutic value in torturing Fenrir. If anything, _that _was what bothered him most of all.

He was so deep in consideration that he was barely conscious of where his feet were taking him. But when the handle of the shop door turned in his hand – someone must have lifted the locking spell – and the crisp air filled his lungs, Severus jolted back to the present. The sunlight reflecting off the fresh snow was nearly blinding, and Severus had to shield his dark eyes while they adjusted to the brightness of the outside world. He looked around, squinting, and for a moment it seemed he was alone. But then his gaze was diverted across the street to a flash of green – a fancy, silk scarf – snugly wrapped around the neck of someone he really did not want to deal with right now.

Of course, it was no big surprise that Avery had waited for him outside of the shop. If his roommate was on orders, then naturally he would be expected to see it through. Severus did, however, feel some surprise at his own emotional indifference as Avery stood up and walked towards him with a horribly cheerful grin plastered to his face. After all, his traitorous "friend" had just gladly handed him over to the Dark Lord. Anger would be a highly appropriate response at the given moment. But other than a sensation of physical and mental fatigue, Severus felt nothing more than faint annoyance at the thought of having to still deal with this clown.

"Jeez, don't look so depressed to see me..."

Severus wearily raised his eyes and stared silently at Avery.

"Ah, c'mon." Avery gave him a firm slap on the shoulder. "They promised you'd be outta harm's way, so it can't've been that bad. I would've liked to tell you ahead of time where we were going but I knew you'd flat out refuse."

"Can we go now?"

"Hey, not yet!" Avery laughed, and the sound grated against Severus' ears like two pieces of Styrofoam. "We've still got to pick up Evan." Severus had forgotten about Rosier. He'd figured that was just a part of the plan to get him into Hogsmeade, but apparently not. Nonetheless, he really didn't want to go to the train station, and suggested that perhaps he could just walk back to the castle now. But Avery smiled and shook his head. "Don't be such a puss, Severus. I told him _we'd _be there, so _let's _go." Too tired to protest, Severus just shrugged and let his companion lead the way.

* * *

Remus wandered across the common room and sat down on the stone window ledge as Peter read over his essay. Though Remus was certainly the most academically successful of his friends, Peter had a knack for catching errors and Remus was always glad to have an extra pair of eyes read his work before he handed it in, on the rare occasion that he _did_ make a mistake.

Outside, the sun was already nearing the tree-line. Remus stared wistfully through the glass at the snow covered ground. He wished he had been able to enjoy the beautiful weather today, even for a minute or two. But of course, schoolwork came first. And now that it was done, he would have all of tomorrow to spend at his leisure. And if the forecast on the radio was accurate, the temperature on Sunday was supposed to be even warmer.

Footsteps pattered softly from behind him and Remus turned his head to see Lily descending the girls' staircase. This evening, however, she was dressed in more than just a nightgown and she already had a book in hand. She passed by the window and flopped down in one of the squashy chairs by the fireplace, propping her legs up on the coffee table. In no way did Remus mind her presence in the room, but before she buried her nose in her book, she cast a very meaningful look in his direction and he got the feeling she was not just down here in search of a comfortable place to read. He responded by raising his eyebrows and glancing quickly at Peter, who was still hunched over the scroll of parchment at the table across the room. Lily glanced over as well, then shrugged, smiled, and dropped her eyes to the pages in front of her. Remus took this as an indication that she was willing to wait until they were alone.

* * *

"What do you mean you didn't answer?" Evan Rosier's voice boomed through the nearly empty pub, and Severus flinched. He chanced a glimpse at Madame Rosmerta behind the bar, who glared back disapprovingly. Avery, who was sitting beside Rosier, gripped his friend's shoulder. "Christ, keep it down, will ya?" But then he also looked across the table at Severus with the same appalled expression as the boy beside him.

"Sorry," muttered Rosier, rubbing his rough palms against the edge weathered wood table restlessly. "But how could you not give an answer?" he hissed.

Severus shrugged. "It's pretty simple," he replied, warming his hands over the large mug of cider in front of him. "I didn't say anything." He stared at the steam rising from the aromatic amber liquid.

Rosier ran a hand through his short brown curls and looked sideways at Avery. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. Can _you_ believe this? Incredible. Real fucking incredible." The blonde boy nodded in agreement, his face stern. "Seriously, Severus…the Dark Lord himself takes the time to invite you into his ranks and you go mute? What the hell were you thinking?"

"What was I _thinking_?" Severus' calm voice masked the irritation he was currently feeling. "I was thinking 'what business do I have being a Death Eater?' I'm a student at Hogwarts, not a grunt for some organized mob." He regretted the words as they left his lips, because immediately his two companions leaned back in their seats, regarding him with narrow eyes. He looked up apologetically. "Look, I didn't mean it like that – it's not necessarily a bad thing, I suppose. I know your parents are Death Eaters, and I know you both are "involved" in certain activities…" He shot a cold glare at Avery. "But it's not for me, alright?"

Avery rolled his eyes. "Right, you're too _good _for that sort of thing. Is that what you're saying? Me and Evan here, we're not cut out for school like you are, so we might as well just be mobsters?" Severus opened his mouth to deny the presumptions his roommate was making, but Rosier laughed and cut in. "Nah, we're just kidding, Severus. But I hope you're going to consider Lord Voldemort's offer. He's got connections, mate. He rewards those who are loyal to him…my parents can assure you that. Money, protection - whatever you want, man."

Severus drained rest of his cider in one huge gulp and stood up. "All I want right now is to get back to the castle, okay? I've got work to do." He started to pull on his cloak, making it clear he was not going to tarry in The Three Broomstick's any longer. Avery and Rosier both grudgingly followed suit, but when they stepped outside, Avery headed the wrong direction once again. Observing the exasperated look on Severus' face, he cracked a grin. "C'mon, just a peek inside Zonko's? Maybe it'll even cheer you up."

Severus doubted it.

* * *

Three barely visible figures were coming up the road from Hogsmeade, and Remus sighed in envy as he watched them. He wondered where Severus was right now, and how he had spent _his _day. Maybe he'd even been lucky enough to get outside. Maybe he was one of those three students returning from Hogsmeade, whose pockets were probably full of Honeydukes sweets. At the thought of treats, his stomach tightened and then let out a loud growl. Lily giggled softly from her spot by the fire and he tried to shoot her a nasty look. His grin and blushing cheeks gave him away, though.

"Done!" called Peter, rolling up the essay and walking over to where his friend was seated. "What's so funny?" he asked, looking from Remus to Lily. Remus shook his head. "My stomach is just letting the world know that I'm hungry," he said, taking the scroll.

Peter nodded. "Oh? I'm pretty hungry, too…do you want to go get dinner? I suspect it's about that time." Remus would have been all for the idea, but in the corner of his eye he could see Lily tilting her head and so he shook his own. "Yes, well, I would…but I was thinking I could check over _your _essay now, before it gets too late. I've got this headache that's been bothering me and I'm afraid it'll just keep getting worse." He rubbed the back of his neck, hoping he sounded convincing enough. He dared not glance over at Lily.

"Oh, alright then," Peter said slowly. "Err, my essay is over there on the table…do you at least want me to bring you back some food?" Now _there _was an offer Remus could take up. He nodded, smiling. "Would you, Peter? I'd really appreciate it…if it's no trouble, of course!" His friend just shrugged. "Sure, it's not a problem. I'll be back in a little bit." Remus watched Peter exit through the portrait hole, then turned towards Lily, curious to know what the matter of importance was. She closed up her book and set it gently on the ground.

"A headache, Remus?" He frowned at the smirk on her face. "I didn't really have time to think up a clever excuse!" he exclaimed. She just shook her head, soft red locks of hair falling around her face. She motioned to the chair beside her. "Sit here…I want to talk to you without having to shout across the room." Remus obeyed, sliding from his perch and making his way through the jumble of couches and chairs to the one Lily had indicated. It was angled at just about ninety degrees to her own, so he turned his body and leaned back against the far arm slightly in order to face her. "What d'you need to talk about so privately?" he asked, feeling a bit awkward.

"I'm sure you know," she replied, her expression sober. To be sure, Remus did have a pretty good guess, but he had always liked to avoid jumping to conclusions. He stared back at her expectantly. She sighed. "It's about Severus." Remus felt his heartstrings tighten. The serious tone of her voice made him feel nervous and uncomfortable. "What about him?" he asked quickly.

"Well, I don't know when or _how _on earth you two decided to get along but it causes me some concern to see you in his company."

"Actually, it was never _me _who had a problem with him, Lily. James and Sirius are the ones who hate him so unconditionally. But why does it 'concern' you? I thought you two were friends," Remus replied with forced calmness, trying to suppress his annoyance at being berated once more about his association with the Slytherin.

"_Were _is the keyword. We _were _friends." She paused to frown at the thought before continuing. "Severus has…troubles. Conflicts he needs to work out. You – you'll end up finding out things about him that you might not want to know. I'm afraid if you get close to him, you'll end up getting hurt."

"For God's sake, we were playing _chess_, Lily!" Remus couldn't help it. This was ridiculous. He didn't want to hear it. He'd already spent more than enough time imagining what James and Sirius would say if they knew, and he'd been pestered enough by Peter, and worried enough about whether or not Peter could even keep his mouth shut. But hearing this dramatic bullshit from Lily, of all people? It was too much.

"Remus, I just hope you'll be careful-"

"Look, I'm sorry to say this but you sound just like the rest of them," Remus growled, staring at her resentfully. "I really don't get it. None of you have ever even bothered to get to know him."

A sad smile crossed her lips and she leaned forward, placing her hand on his knee. "I've known Severus for nearly eight years." Her eyebrows relaxed for a brief second as if she were recalling a memory. But she quickly refocused and stared at him firmly with her deep green eyes. "On his own, he is a wonderful human being and he has the potential to do incredible things. But every day, the chances of that happening grow smaller." She paused, choosing her words carefully. It was something Remus had always appreciated about her, for tact was a quality that James and Sirius both lacked. "Severus is misguided by the people he surrounds himself with. It isn't his fault, but it is the reality. Those brutes like Rosier and Dolohov - Death Eaters, no one can deny it – they are his only source of direction. And it isn't positive direction, that's for sure."

Remus sighed, staring into her earnest eyes. He knew she meant well, even if her prejudices were getting in the way. He reached down and cupped his fingers into her palm, squeezing gently. "Thank you... I know you wouldn't tell me these things if they weren't important for me to know. I'll be careful. But if it doesn't sound _too _conceited, I think maybe it's possible that I can be the positive influence he needs."

"So did I," she said quietly, more to herself than to him. She pulled back and picked up her book from where it sat by her feet, and looked up at him once more, forcing the sadness from her face. "But maybe you're right," she added, smiling with more cheerfulness than was really necessary. "I hope you're right, at any rate." Feeling the discussion had resolved itself, Remus stood up to begin proof reading Peter's essay. Lily grabbed at his sleeve as he began to walk away, obviously intent on saying something else before letting him go. He stopped, looking down at her questioningly.

"He always goes to the library on Sunday mornings," she said softly, a crafty twinkle in her eyes. "Just so you know."


	14. Chapter 14

_Here's a much deserved thanks to all of my readers! I'm really enjoying working on this story, and I appreciate_  
_the support and patience you all have shown. I'm doing my best to juggle writing in between my_  
_work and school schedule, but I have been trying to keep the chapters coming _  
_in at a reasonable speed. I hope this story isn't dragging on... I never expected for it to get _  
_this long but I promise, it does have an eventual conclusion!_

* * *

By the time the sun was coming up over the horizon the next morning, Remus had showered, brushed his teeth, gotten dressed, and successfully sneaked out of the room without waking Peter. He scurried down the staircase into the common room, excited to get a move on with his day. Pushing a chair over to the shelf by the window, he reached up and grabbed hold of the large wooden chess board. As he was pulling it down, someone spoke quietly from behind him and he nearly dropped the bag of pieces on his head.

"Lemme guess - you're going to proposition a rematch?"

Remus rolled his eyes as he looked over his shoulder. There was Lily, curled up in the same spot she'd been in last night. She was wearing a pleated skirt and a warm looking burgundy sweater which almost matched the fabric of the chair, so he wasn't surprised he had overlooked her when entering the room. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am," he replied. The pretty girl shook her head. "You're so predictable," she teased. Noticing the frown that followed her comment, she smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's a good idea! I just _knew_ you'd go for chess. It's kind of your thing, if you haven't noticed." He tucked the board under his arm and hopped back down to the floor. She was right. Chess was indeed his _thing_.

"There's nothing wrong with establishing a little routine," he grinned as he pushed his temporary step-stool back to where it had been. With a quick, cheerful wave in Lily's direction, he practically bounded across the room to the portrait hole. Lily waved back, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

Remus tried to whistle to himself while he strode down the empty fourth floor corridor. His lips were a bit dry and he was making the tune up off the top of his head, but oh well. His spirits were high enough that it didn't really matter if his music was mediocre. He took a short detour through the balcony archway, sticking his head through a gap between two pillars to test the temperature this morning. With the sun only just beginning to warm the air, it was admittedly still a little chilly outside. But even with just a long-sleeved cotton shirt on beneath his hunting jacket, Remus felt more than comfortable, and he could tell that it was going to be a very pleasant day.

Satisfied by the beautiful weather, he returned to his original route. As he came around a twist in the staircase, however, his heart jumped into his throat. Severus Snape was ascending the steps between the second and third floors. He had a piece of toast in one hand, a notebook in the other, and the usual serious expression on his face. Remus watched from his half-hidden position behind the banister as the Slytherin swept down the corridor to his right. Remus smiled; Lily hadn't been lying. He had to resist calling out to Severus at this very moment, though, because the truth was he was quite hungry and really wanted to grab some breakfast before doing anything else. He tiptoed silently down the steps, breathing a small sigh of relief when the raven-haired boy disappeared into the library without turning around to discover his observer.

* * *

"Wingardium Leviosa," murmured Severus, pointing his wand at a nearby step-ladder and directing it over to an exceptionally tall bookcase at the back of the library. He wasn't short for a nearly seventeen year old boy, but even he had to stretch a bit to reach the top shelf. His long fingers just managed to grip the rough binding of the book of interest, and he tugged it down. He stepped off the ladder and headed back over to the table where he'd left his notebook.

The heavy book was so worn from use that Severus could not even read the title on the cover, though if he could trust the ID sticker on the side, he was currently scanning the index of _The Complete Encyclopedia of Magical Beasts_. His dark eyes flickered down the "W" row and... nothing. He paused, momentarily puzzled. How could there be nothing on werewolves in such a _complete_ encyclopedia? But then it clicked. He turned back a couple pages and ran his finger down the "L" section. There, _lycanthropy_. "Page 394," he muttered as he attempted to peel apart the pages of the last chapter. Someone had obviously spilled something on this book at some point. Finally, he managed to get to the section he wanted.

Ten minutes later, having read through every paragraph, footnote, and key-term definition, he was feeling pretty unsatisfied. Sure, there was a plethora of information on the history of the condition, biographies of the most infamous werewolves, identifying characteristics, treatment (or lack there-of, it seemed), and safety measures. But Severus was an attentive student and these were all things he had learned way back in his third year Defense Against The Dark Arts class. He was interested in the _psychological_ consequences of the disorder. He stood up and walked up to the front desk, deciding it might be worth asking about.

"Can I help you, Mr. Snape?"

"Yes," he replied, returning the intelligent gaze that Madame Pince was giving him from over her spectacles. "I was wondering where I might find the most recent texts on magical diseases."

The hawk-like witch set down the quill she had been holding. "It depends on what you're looking for – any medical books would be in section H, rows four and five," she said, pointing towards the far wall. "But if you're looking for articles," she continued, reaching for a filing cabinet behind her, "I have a number of journals and records from St. Mungo's here." He eyed the drawer curiously. Accounts of specific cases were more along the lines of what he was looking for. "What is it you're researching?" the librarian asked, noticing his heightened interest.

Severus hesitated. "Err…werewolves, ma'am." He was worried that other members of the faculty might have been told about his situation, and he didn't want to give anyone any reason to be alarmed. Luckily, Madame Pince seemed unphased by his answer, and simply rifled through the most current files, pulling three out from the organized row. "These are what we currently have available," she informed him as she slid the issues across the desk. "But if you'd like, I can send a request to St. Mungo's for older publications."

"Perhaps if I don't find what I'm looking for. Thank you," he said, nodding appreciatively before heading back to his table. He didn't want to seem _too_ invested in this topic. He sat down and pulled a journal towards him. A small box in the top right corner read, "Oct-Nov, 1967." Severus scoffed at the date. Nine years ago was _recent_? He checked the other two. "Jun-Jul, 1972," and "Feb-Mar, 1964." He shook his head, and opened the one from 1972. The term _lycanthropy _produced only one result, on page 19. He checked it, and found a disappointingly short post-mortem report about a wizard who had poisoned himself in an attempt to cure his condition. Severus frowned. Well, that wasn't going to be much help. He reached for the 1967 report. As he skimmed the index, something caught his eye. "Greyback, 30-35…" he read to himself, and hastily flipped to the appointed pages. Apparently, Fenrir Greyback had been very active in that year, and Severus was just about to begin reading the details of an attack on a young boy when the movement of a shadow over his shoulder made him aware that someone was approaching. He quickly closed the journal and spun around in his chair.

And there was Remus Lupin, looking a little bit ridiculous with a huge chess set held out in front of him like a checkered shield. Severus allowed himself a rare chuckle. "Good morning, Remus," he said, and nodded to the wooden board. "What's the occasion?" The blonde boy beamed. "I thought you might still want a rematch. You know, in case you want to redeem your pride after being beaten by a Gryffindor." Severus looked back at the texts strewn across his table. "I would…" he began, and Remus' face fell.

"Oh, well, if you're busy…"

Severus felt his will being sapped from him as blue puppy eyes bore into him. "No, it's nothing really. Of course I can spare some time." He got up from his chair and gathered up his reading material. Remus' expression immediately brightened and he followed Severus to the front desk, a bounce in his step.

"Thank you," Severus said to Madame Pince as he slid the stack of journals back towards her. "I might be back later – could you keep these set aside for me?" She acknowledged his request with a curt nod, but he could not help noticing that she raised her eyebrows in a silent gesture of surprise when she saw who his companion was. This bothered Severus a little, for while he was well aware that many students would take issue with his consorting with a Gryffindor, he hadn't expected a member of the _faculty _to pass such judgments. Remus, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice, as he was already holding open the door expectantly. "The beautiful weather is calling!" he chirped.

* * *

"So, were you working on Kettleburn's essay?" asked Remus, hesitating before choosing to move his bishop. They had settled down at a table in a courtyard on the east side of the castle – blocked from the chilly breeze but fully exposed to the warm sunlight pouring through the nearly cloudless sky.

"Er, yes." Severus seemed distracted as he stared down at the board, though Remus could hardly blame him. They were now playing their second game of the day as Severus had won the first, so this one would be the tiebreaker. Naturally, it was matter to be taken very seriously. Fingers nearly as white as his opponent's chess pieces prodded a knight towards the spot where Remus' queen was standing, and seeing what was about to happen, she gathered up her draped robes hurriedly and ran from the board.

"I only just finished mine last night," Remus said with a knowing smile, though inside he was cursing himself for not seeing that move coming. "What creature did Kettleburn assign for you?" he asked out of curiosity, and also because conversation might keep Severus from noticing the incredible weakness in his defensive line at the moment.

"Unicorns," was the response. Remus stifled a short laugh, and chanced a grin at his sullen friend. "Sorry," he chuckled, directing his rook to guard his king. "For whatever reason, that's not really a word I expected to hear you say." The stern look he was receiving lasted only a second or two more before it twitched into a smile. "You know what I say to that? _Check_."

"Well drat," muttered the Gryffindor, realizing he would be forced to sacrifice his remaining bishop. At least he still had both his rooks. Four moves later, however, that observation no longer applied. As he mulled over ways to bide his time, something occurred to him. "Unicorns…" he mused aloud. "That's what you were reading about?" Severus looked up. "Yes, that's what I said." Remus reached for his king, then thought better of it. "Does St. Mungo's treat unicorns often, then?" he asked.

"What- oh…_oh._" It took Severus a moment to understand what he was referring to. A faint pink color crept across the prominent cheekbones. Remus couldn't help noticing that Severus' lips were looking a little blue, which was odd because _he _wasn't feeling cold in the least. "They don't," the dark haired boy laughed nervously, looking a little flustered. "But they're very territorial, and I was reading about mauling incidents… you see, I have to give an oral presentation and I thought I'd get some real-life examples to talk about." By the end of this explanation, Severus seemed much less tense. Though perhaps it was because he had just blocked another potential attack against his king.

"An oral presentation?" Remus asked curiously, ignoring the grumbling of one particularly cowardly pawn as it stepped gingerly into the next square. By this point, he had come to terms with the thought of losing this game – seeing as he only had his king, one knight, and two pawns left (soon to be one). Severus shrugged. "It's extra credit," he said offhandedly, watching his queen as she sauntered towards the quivering pawn.

Suddenly, something small and gold flew by them with a sharp _phzzmm _sound and Remus felt his heart leap into his throat. He tore his eyes away from the board, inhaling sharply as he spotted an ornately designed snitch hovering above their heads, its wings fluttering rapidly. Severus also surveyed the humming metallic ball with surprise, though he couldn't quite comprehend Remus' apparent horror at its presence. But it didn't take long for him to find out.

"Hullo, Remus!" called a voice from the entrance to the courtyard. James was coming around the courtyard wall, tromping his way through the snow towards them. He was accompanied by none other than Sirius, whose shaggy hair appeared, as always, only partially combed. Remus couldn't believe he could have been so stupid; today was Sunday and classes started back up tomorrow…so of _course _they were coming back today! Based on their cheery atmosphere, he could only assume that at a distance his friends were unable to distinguish who he was currently sitting with. As they approached, however, he watched their expressions change from that of joyful greeting to looks of shocked realization.

"Snape!" shouted James, stopping dead in his tracks. Sirius opened his mouth as if to say something, but seemed unable to find the appropriate words to express his disgust. He skulked slowly towards the table, his widened grey eyes flicking back and forth between Remus and Snape. "What _is _this?" he finally exclaimed, arms held out in utter bewilderment.

"This is a chess board, Black," replied Severus dryly, as Remus had temporarily gone mute. "I can see _that_," snapped the rugged Gryffindor, taking another step towards his friend. James seemed to regain control of his legs and approached them as well. Feeling vulnerable and wanting to escape the situation before it got too nasty, Severus pushed his chair back and stood up quickly. In his haste, he knocked half a dozen pieces to the ground. "Watch it, clumsy!" shouted one particularly violent rook, brandishing his fist angrily. Sirius laughed. "My God, Snivellus – even board games hate you? Well it's no wonder… who'd want to be pushed around by a greasy git like you?"

To Remus' dismay, Severus cast a glare not only at their two uninvited guests, but also in his direction as well. "I'll see you in Potions, then," was all that the boy mumbled as he turned and swept swiftly down the open-air corridor before any more insults to his person could be made. Sirius scooped up a handful of snow and tossed it after the retreating figure before Remus could stop him. Luckily, it missed and white chunks sprayed across the grey stones instead. Remus got out of his chair and bent down to gather up the chess pieces, avoiding eye contact with his friends.

"You know, it's funny we found you with _him_," began James, stooping down to help him.

"We've only been back an hour and we've already heard all sorts of stories," continued Sirius, a grimace of displeasure on his face.

"There's no harm in a game of chess, is there?" Remus murmured defensively. Stories? Peter must have talked. He wished he could disappear. This was the interrogation he'd been afraid of.

"Peter told us about finding you two sleeping in bed together – explain that one, why dontcha."

"Look, it's not how you think it is… I let him stay the night because Peeves had Filch rampaging around the castle and there was no way Severus would have made it to the dungeons without getting caught." The words rushed from his lips pleadingly. He stuffed the chess pieces into the drawstring bag and grabbed the chess board. James had his arms crossed sternly, and Sirius scowled disapprovingly. "So you let him sleep in your _bed_?"

"Would you have preferred I let him sleep in one of yours?" They walked back into the castle together, his friends on either side of him. Remus kicked at a large chunk of melting ice as they passed the remains of Sirius' snowball.

"Well, no…" James said slowly, some of the vexation leaving his face as he considered the alternative that Remus had spared them from. But Sirius was not about to let up. "It's not like there aren't couches in the common room. People sleep on those all the time. You could have slept on one of those… or better yet, he could have slept downstairs. Why even _offer _him the bed?" Remus was beginning to feel very frustrated by his friends' intolerance. "Look, I'm sorry I was trying to do a good thing for someone. From now on I'll try harder to be the most cold, heartless person you know. Sound good?"

Sirius grinned peevishly and patted him heavily on the back. "Yes!" he said with mocking enthusiasm. "In Snape's case, at least."


	15. Chapter 15

"That's them!"

The Marauders immediately recognized the caretaker's raspy voice as it echoed down the first floor corridor. "Hold it, boys!" shouted another more feminine voice. The three of them turned around to behold an irate looking Professor McGonagall swooping down the hallway towards them, Argus Filch following close at her heels. "Shit," muttered Remus. As if he hadn't dealt with enough trouble today already.

"They was the ones throwing snow inside the East Grounds corridor, I saw 'em myself!" Filch pointed one shaking, arthritic finger at the boys accusingly, his face red and twisted up into a deep scowl. "Which one of them?" asked McGonagall, looking from Filch to the suspects. "Eh?" the caretaker uttered the syllable with great confusion, as if he'd just been asked to solve Goldbach's Conjecture. "For goodness sake, Argus, which one of these boys is the 'culprit'?" Remus noticed that she gestured towards both Sirius and James, but not at him. He wondered how she knew he hadn't been involved. "Ahh," said Filch, comprehending what she was asking. "It was that 'un there," he growled, jerking his head towards Sirius, who crossed his arms defiantly but said nothing. "But those two didn't stop 'im-"

"Thank you, Argus," McGonagall snapped sharply, cutting Filch off. She narrowed her eyes at Sirius. "Do you think Mister Filch has nothing better to do all day besides clean up your messes? Though," she added with a sarcastic smile, "I typically expect more devious pranks from you than tossing snowballs down the corridors."

"It wasn't a prank, Professor," muttered Sirius bitterly. "I had a perfectly good reason for my actions... it's just a shame I missed." McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him sternly, and despite being at least an inch taller than her, Sirius still seemed small in her authoritative presence. "Well, you can explain your reasoning to me in detention - Wednesday night at seven, if you would be so..." but her voice trailed off as a thought seemed to cross her mind. "No, forget about detention," she began, and Sirius gazed at her with an expression of mixed hope and apprehension. "Come along with me now, Black, and it'll save you an evening of deskwork. I've got just the job for you," she told him, pulling out her wand and pointing it at a decorative vase sitting at the base of a nearby flight of stairs. It wobbled precariously, sprung into the air, and transformed into a snow shovel before their eyes. Sirius eyed it with resentment.

Filch smiled wickedly, but his pale eyes wandered over to Remus and James. "What about them, too, ma'am?" he asked hopefully. But as strict as McGonagall could be, she was not going to punish them for something they hadn't done. "I apologize for the mess downstairs, but seeing as these two weren't directly involved, I think I'll tie up the loose ends myself." Her tone made it clear she was done with her dealings with Filch for the time being, and he slunk off. When he had gone, the older witch turned back towards her students. It seemed she wasn't going to let them completely off the hook after all. She reprimanded them for not restraining Sirius, though she spoke more to Remus than James. "I'm not terribly surprised to find Potter involved," she said, rolling her eyes briefly towards the black-haired boy, "but from you, Lupin? Ten points from Gryffindor – we expect more from our prefects."

With that said, she made as if she was about to leave, but unfortunately, her gaze seemed to gravitate towards the chessboard still tucked under Remus' right arm. "What – is that? Lupin, what – _for shame_!" she spluttered, her eyes nearly popping right out of her head. "Gryffindor House property is not to be _toted _around the castle on a whim – you know that! If you wanted to play chess, you could have taken one of the rentals from the library! Give me that!" she barked angrily, pulling the antique board from Remus' grip. "Five more points from Gryffindor! I _never_…You fools are going to cost us the House Cup, if you keep this up," she grumbled scathingly as she stormed away, dragging Sirius along by the sleeve of his robes.

* * *

Severus leaned up against a large column, his legs weak and his vision spinning. Standing up so quickly had made him dizzy, and the adrenaline was ebbing from his system now that he was out of sight from his tormentors. His heart was thumping away inside his chest far too rapidly for comfort, and he tried to normalize his shallow breathing to a slower, deeper pace. As he stood there recuperating, he looked down at his hands. The fingernails were still blue – although Remus had appeared perfectly content with the weather, Severus had been quite cold sitting out in the winter air. Of course, that wasn't something he wouldn't have admitted to Remus.

"I'll have them hangin' by their ankles in the dungeons this time, ma'am, I tell you what-"

"Oh, I hardly think that will be necessary. Tell me again what the crime is? A patch of snow in the hallway?"

"It's defacing of school property – not to mention malicious intent against my person! They're trying to give me frostbite!"

"Really, Argus. It's only _snow_."

Severus could hear the heated discussion clearly, and easily recognized the voices of both speakers. Sure enough, seconds later the school's caretaker and Gryffindor's Head of House rounded the corner, so intent on their destination that they passed by Severus without so much as even looking in his direction. But he had a pretty sure guess of who they were chasing after, and in a moment of impulse, he spoke up.

"Professor? Just one moment?"

McGonagall halted and turned to see who had spoken. Filch stopped as well, leering at Severus. "We're in a hurry, boy, can't you-" he began, but McGonagall held up a hand to silence the man. "Yes, Snape?" she prompted him curtly. "Well if you're looking for who I _think_," he began hastily, "then they're just down the hall there… but I'd just like you to know that Remus Lupin wasn't involved in any mischief. I won't say the same for Potter and Black, though." The transfiguration professor raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Well then…ah, thank you, Severus. I shall keep it in mind," she stammered, nodding awkwardly in his direction before continuing on her way, Filch bustling along behind. Severus couldn't blame her for being surprised. If someone had told him a week ago he'd be defending Remus Lupin from unjust discipline, he'd have thought they'd been confunded.

Feeling a little more steady on his feet now that he'd rested, Severus continued on his way towards the dungeons. 'It's only fair' he told himself, considering the word he'd just put in on Remus' behalf. It wasn't Remus' fault that those two oafs had showed up. It wasn't Remus' fault that Sirius was a violent and unmannered prick. Of course, he _had _also thrown Potter under the bus, despite the fact that the normally hot-headed Gryffindor had simply stood there gaping like an idiot the whole time. But considering all the occasions when Potter had gotten away with actively participating in humiliating Severus, his punishment today would still be a step towards justice.

The more he thought about Potter and Black, the more unhappy Severus felt. What would this mean, now that they'd returned? He hadn't actually given much thought to what would happen when that tightly knit gang of Gryffindors came back together again. Nor had he really thought about the fact that he and Remus had only been on good terms for the length of four days now. It felt longer, for some reason. He frowned. It shouldn't bother him so much. He couldn't let himself be distracted by such foolishly strong attachments. Most likely, now that Remus had his regular friends back, he'd forget all about their brief connection and things would return to the way they'd always been. But try as he might to consider this possibility without emotional investment, he could not. And he spent the rest of the day struggling with feelings he could not sort out.

* * *

While waiting for Sirius to return from his forced labor, Remus had helped James half-ass an essay about thestrals. When editing Peter's essay the day before, Remus had noticed that the word Diricawl was misspelled Diricrawl everytime, so Peter was busy making corrections. Finally, Sirius had come climbing through the portrait hole, his pants soaked up to the knees and his cheeks bright red from the wind. "I'm famished!" he declared, and after he had taken a quick shower and changed into dry clothes, they'd all gone to the Great Hall to enjoy a warm, filling dinner.

Now, all four Marauders re-united that evening in the common room to catch up and revel in each others' company. Sirius and James were bursting at the seams to talk about their trip with the Potters, and Remus and Peter were more than willing to listen. Even Lily graced them with her presence for a while, though she excused herself when Sirius began to tell them, with fervent enthusiasm, about the beautiful foreign girls he had chatted up in the ski lodge. When she was gone from the room and out of earshot, James shot an icy glare towards his friend. "What?" whined Sirius, shrugging innocently.

"She finally begins to warm up to me and you've got to go and scare her off with a bunch of vulgar comments?"

"Pfft," Sirius puffed dismissively. "Vulgar? Should I have mentioned some of the things _you _said when you laid eyes on that German babe?" Caught in his own hypocrisy, James chose not to respond. "Anyway," continued Sirius, still grinning distractedly at the thought of this particular girl, "I'm the one talking about titties! She shouldn't be mad at _you_."

"Seems like a lot of people like to blame us for your behavior, though," remarked James, his countenance lightening back up a bit. He pulled his glasses down to rest on the tip of his nose, and looked over them at Remus mockingly. "_Ten points from Gryffindor – we expect more from our prefects!_" he said in a shrill voice, imitating McGonagall so well it was almost frightening. They all laughed.

"Oh!" said Sirius suddenly. "Speaking of that crazy old witch, here's a little something to cheer you up, James! I overheard some very interesting conversation today while I was shoveling snow." He paused dramatically, looking at each of his friends with a twinkle in his silver eyes. Sirius loved the power of knowing secret information. "Oh, c'mon then! Tell us!" cried Peter finally, shifting in his chair restlessly. Sirius' grin widened. "Well, while she was watching me clear the front steps, Professor Sprout and Madame Hooch came outside and they all huddled up, chattering to each other and giggling like school girls." Another dramatic pause as he rolled his eyes. "I caught most of what they were talking about… basically, music. They were listing off a bunch of songs – you know, like recent hits… Bohemian Rhapsody, Young Americans, that weird Elton John single. I think they're planning a school dance!" he concluded triumphantly.

Remus cocked his head to the side, considering the plausibility of this assumption. Peter pressed a palm to his forehead and closed his eyes in clear displeasure. James leaned back in his chair, looking at Sirius bemusedly. "How is that supposed to cheer me up?" he asked. His question earned him a pillow chucked at his head. "You can ask Lily to be your date, stupid!" goaded Sirius. James deflected the pillow easily, and tossed it back. "I suppose. That is, if she'll even agree to go with me," he added, but his voice was full of optimism.

Remus stayed downstairs for a while longer, listening to everyone chat and occasionally contributing to the conversation. It certainly was nice to have the rest of the gang back, he couldn't deny that. But it had been a long weekend and he was feeling somewhat tired, so finally, when it seemed appropriately late enough, Remus excused himself and headed upstairs. Might as well get a good night's sleep, since classes would start back up tomorrow.

As he cozied up beneath his warm blanket, Remus caught a whiff of a faint smell – not a bad smell, but a foreign one. As he laid his head down on his pillow, the smell intensified. He rolled over, sniffing the pillowcase directly. Herbs. That's what it was…herbs. A weird feeling settled into his gut as he realized that half of his bed still smelled like Severus. And though he felt a little creepy doing so, he sniffed the pillowcase again. He just wanted to remember the scent. It was mostly earthy, like minced roots and basil, but he thought he detected something else, too. Something sweeter. Peppermint, perhaps. Or maybe cinnamon?

He heard the door of the darkened dormitory creak open slowly. Remus fell back onto the mattress, glad he'd pulled his curtains tonight. It would be awkward to explain why he had been pressing his face into the pillow. He listened to the footsteps, and could tell it was Sirius by the length of the strides and the steady pace across the floor. Being athletic, James always struck very heavily with his heel first, and Peter tended to shuffle his feet when he walked. Remus heard Sirius turn on the bathroom light, and listened to his fellow roommate brush his teeth. It was comforting to have everyone back. He'd felt strange being the only one in the room every night.

The bathroom light clicked back off. A dresser drawer opened, then shut a few moments later. Two soft fhoomps of shoes being kicked off. But instead of the expected squeak of Sirius' bedsprings, Remus heard his own curtains being parted down at the end of his bed, and a weight compressing the mattress by his feet. He opened his eyes and sat up, startled. "Sirius!" he said in a hushed voice. "What're you-?"

"Relax," replied Sirius, chuckling and illuminating the end of his wand. He was holding the wrapped present Remus had left on his bed. "Obviously, James already opened his, but I figured I'd wait 'til you were around before I opened mine." Remus smiled. He had felt a little disappointed not to see James' initial reaction to the custom snitch, so he appreciated Sirius' thoughtfulness. Ripping open the crinkly paper and tossing it aside, Sirius rewarded Remus with a hearty laugh when he realized what the gift was. "Excellent!" he exclaimed, holding up the blue, bone-shaped chew toy. "You know me well!" He gazed at it a moment longer, then looked up at his dusty haired friend. His grin transformed into a more serious smile. "So, you must have been pretty damn lonely this break if you were trying to pal up with Snivellus, huh?"

Remus frowned unhappily. "Come on, Sirius, can we please not talk about it anymore?" He didn't know how much more of this he would be willing to deal with. "Alright, sure," agreed Sirius. "But just tell me this…you don't have the hots for that hook-nosed potions geek, do you?"

"WHAT?" Remus forgot how to control his volume level for a moment, and someone in the room next door pounded on the wall angrily. Embarrassed, Remus looked at Sirius sheepishly. "Sorry, er… I mean, what? Of course not." Grey eyes peered back at him from beneath tangled black hair, sparkling with their wild, eternal humor. "Sorry mate, didn't mean to freak you out," Sirius said quietly. "I just, well, you know I wouldn't judge you, whichever way you lean…if you know what I mean." He gnawed on the end of the chew toy as if deep in thought, and even though Remus wanted to feel annoyed, Sirius' charm was simply something he couldn't get past. "I'm just saying, there's nothing redeeming about Snape. He's not even attractive. It'd be like fucking an overgrown bat." He started to climb back off the mattress. "Anyway, goodnight! See you in the morning."

Remus sighed, then turned his face back towards the pillow. "_Yes_", he thought before falling asleep. "_Definitely cinnamon_."


	16. Update

_Hello everyone! Just checking in to update you guys on the fact that I have not abandoned this story, so don't worry... the first week of classes is always a bit hectic so that's the reason for the delay in more chapters. I promise there'll be a new one soon, though. Thanks!_


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